My Queen
by Arthurian knight
Summary: What if Kallen knew what she truly mean to Lelouch? How would things turn out and what does our prince have say about it? Will he hurt her to keep her away from him or will he return her feelings? AU after the first chapter Kalulu. Formerly Oneshot
1. Chapter 1: Feelings

**Hey, there! Now we all know about the complex relationship between Kallen and Lelouch. This is just somethings I thought Lelouch must be wondering**** before what he thought was his end at Ep 19 Season 2. Spoilers for those who haven't seen it. I suggest you watch it first. This is also a test for my upcoming fanfic. Well enjoy!**

**I do not own Code Geass though I wish I do and hope there will be a third season or at least a Code Geass movie soon. There are grammar mistakes here so don't bother point it out. Please no bashing. It's my first Code Geass fanfic. Read and Review! (Edited version)  
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The moon was at its peak over the northern sky. The Imperial outpost shined like a glittering rock as the Britannian flags fluttered madly in the wind. At the entrance, soldiers dressed in grey and black armour and helmed visors stood attention like statues, their rifles ready to turn at any intruder. Their leader, one of the famed Gaston knights dressed in a maroon uniform with a sabre by his side inspected the situation.

An explosion struck the entrance, blowing up the door and walls into pieces. Soldiers fell as the debris struck them. Volleys of lead from different directions cut down any survivors. The knight tried to rally more guards when a crimson Knightmare with a metallic claw smashed through the wall. A duo of Imperial Vincents appeared from the side to investigate the attack and fell victim to the monstrous red. The Knightmare slashed its claw tearing one Vincent apart with a single blow and side-kicked another. It happened in mere seconds. The knight could only stare in shock. Another one of the purple mass produced Knightmares appeared and drew its MVS lance and attempt to skewer the invader with its blood red blades. It was a valiant act but futile. The crimson machine grabbed its head with its claw and a beam of red-violet beam appears and it turned the Vincent to dust.

"_Zero, come in. This is Kallen. I've gotten them all."_ A red haired teenage girl spoke over the microphone.

"_Good work, Kallen."_ A muffled voice replied. _"Now take over that outpost! It's crucial that we take it so we can isolate the Britannian forces. Now go do what you do best!"_

Grinning she replied, _"Yes, Zero!"_

A man dressed in a black cloak stared at the red-haired Black knight as she cut a bloody swathe through the Britannian Knightmares. Lelouch Vi Britannia sat on his couch in the command centre thinking about all that had happened.

"It all seemed like yesterday since that day in the Getto." The Britannian prince and Knight Commander muttered to himself.

"Hmm?" A green hair girl dressed in a Black Knight uniform turned to face him.

"She's been by my side since the beginning, CC. She's been there through all..."

"She's a rare girl…that's considering my experiences through centuries." CC said with a rare smile.

"She's was willing to become my slave…it suppressed my calculations time and time again." Lelouch muttered in amazement.

"Really? You actually miscalculated about her?" CC asked surprised. "Thought you said she was the most devoted to Zero?"

"I did." The Britannian prince admitted. "But I never expected it to be this high."

The immortal chuckled. "Why you asked her to go back with you to Ashford?"

"What?!" Lelouch turned surprised.

"I was there when you two were having your romantic moment in the Chinese Federation remember? When she asked you why you returned, you didn't answer and asked her if she would come back to Ashford when the war is over. I shouldn't have ruined that moment but that Chinese sauce just wasn't my taste."

"I just admire her because she's fighting for what she truly believes in." He answered trying to avoid the question.

"I thought you called her a pawn?"

"She was never a pawn! I've lost mother, Shirley and Euphie. I can't bear to lose her as well!" He all but shouted, feeling suddenly angry.

"When did she become so close?"

"Oh be quiet, you witch!" Lelouch said annoyed. He glanced at the screens. "Look, Todoh needs some help at sector B. Go help him out."

"Ok, 'Zero'. Just one more thing." The immortal got up and started for the door.

"And what's that?"

"Have you considered her as your queen? I mean literally?" With that she walked out of the room leaving a puzzled Lelouch alone to think what it meant.

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**Months later after the destruction of the Tokoyo Settlement**

Lelouch Vi Britannia stood surrounded by the Black knights with Kallen. Lights pierced through the darkness like a sword through flesh. It's over. They found out.

"Wait a minute!" Kallen shouted, positioning herself protectively over him. "This is all one-sided! Look at how far we come because of Zero! At least let him answer!"

"You're in the way, Kallen!" Tamaki shouted. "Do you want to die with Zero?"

"Don't tell me he used his Geass on you too!" Ohgi added.

Lelouch knew that it was over.

"I need an answer, Lelouch." Kallen whispered to him startling him.

'Kallen...'

Lelouch tried to think of every possible way to save them. Perhaps there was a way out. The prince glanced at a corner and saw a tall white figure and knew that it was hopeless. 'Schneizel…so you made your move by calling check…' He thought. 'There's no way out for me. It's over.'

"What do I mean to you?" She continued. "I need…to know…If I could stay with you I would…Please…"

Lelouch looked infront of him. Kallen was still there shielding him from the others. He knew she was willing to die with him. She can't die now; he needed someone to protect CC. She had to live.

No, that's what he was telling himself. It was more than that. He was right earlier. Kallen Kosuki would always be there for him since the beginning and now she's there infront of him when everyone is against him.

Such loyalty…she was willing to be his slave unlike others whom he had geassed. She had followed him everywhere anywhere w He understood what CC had told him earlier now: **Kallen was deeply in love with him**. That explained why she had been acting to him strangely earlier and why she was outrageously jealous when CC told him to take off his clothes. Lelouch had always made fun of her by mentioning of them being a couple many times before but he had never been serious about it. He knew now why she was able to perform so many deeds before.

_Love is power, Lelouch! _Shirley's voice rang in his head.

Of course. People would do things that were insane beyond reason for those they love regardless for what happen to oneself. It gives them the will, strength and power to go on beyond all expectations…against all odds. It was the most powerful weapon anyone can have. Love…the fear and grief in his chest was replaced by an unfamiliar emotion. It was similar to that of how he felt for Euphie, Shirley, even C.C. when she sacrificed herself to save him but this was much stronger. He had lost so many of those he love…mother…Nunally…Euphie…Shirley…and now Kallen…No! Not Kallen as well. He would see to her that she live even without him. Kallen was his knight…his friend…his queen and now he felt the feeling he was willing to die for her as she would for him…The Black Prince suddenly found out what that emotion was…**love**...**he loved her **as well…

He no longer cared about the guns and Knightmares pointing at him. All that matter to him now is to keep Kallen safe.

"Please answer me, Lelouch!" Kallen begged him. He knew that there was only one way to save her. Although it hurt him more than it will ever hurt her, he had to do it.

Lelouch Vi Britannia let out a evil laugh.

"Fools! So you finally figured it out. That I've been using you all! That's right! You're all pawns in my game." He removed his helmet and grinned at the assembled knights. Kallen let out a grasp and turned to him.

"Zero…so you really are…"

"Zero!"

While many painful cries came from the Black knights, none were as painful as that of Kallen's eyes which were wide as wide as saucer plates…the beautiful orbs filled with shock and hurt…But he must press on the act at least until he die.

"Lelouch…no…"

"Kallen," He started, fighting not show any sign of emotion from the painful words that were going to come out. "You were my most useful piece. It's like a well played knight." He looked up to the others to make sure everyone would hear him as well as to not look at Kallen. His whole act would break if he looked at her face any longer.

"This whole world was the board for the game…all for my entertainment!" He struggled to keep the evil grin as Kallen turned her back.

"I see…" She made no effort to hide the pain and disappointment in her voice, a further attack on his act. He knew her eyes were tearing though he couldn't see it.

"Good bye then Lelouch!" She said that last part out filled with utter hatred.

"Get ready!" Todoh shouted. Guns cocked and aimed at the Black Prince. But Lelouch did not care.

Tears swell his violet orbs as the words rang into his mind. It could not be avoided if she were to live but it hurt much more than he thought he would feel. He dipped his head to hide the tears that were coming out and the fading grin that was changing to a bitter frown. The act was breaking up. He could not let them see had hurt the one person who stood by his side after all the evil he had done. He had hurt his queen…his love...After all the failures he had done, at least Zero, Lelouch Vi Britannia succeeded in saving the person who would have wanted to share his life with in another life.

"Kallen…you…have…to…live…" He muttered absently, closing his eyes preparing to hear the sound of gun fire and the bullets to pierce his black heart.

Lelouch imagined himself in another time, in another world. A world where there was peace everywhere. He would be back in Ashford with Nunally, mother, Euphie, Suzaku, Milly, Shirley, Rivalz and everyone else.

They parted and she appeared striding towards him gracefully. Kallen would be dressed in a white beautiful dress looking at him. Her hair was neatly down by her shoulders. Kallen's face turned red as she walked up to him. They were but a few inches apart. He would put his arms around her as he bent to kiss her. He mused remembering the last time he tried to do that and she had slapped him hard. But this time she responded passionately, wrapping her arms around his neck.

He opened his eyes slightly to see her one last time. To his surprise, he saw Kallen had heard what he had muttered and looked at him. The hatred was replaced by confusion. Her eyes lit up upon realizing what he had said. The Britannian prince smiled, glad that he had seen the one last person he love before dying.

As for what Kallen mean to him? She was the world to him now...

"FIRE!" The guns blared.

"NO!" Kallen screamed.

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**Author's Notes: Ok, now we all know what happen later. I'm not going to say it because it'll spoil those who haven't watched the ep****isode. Please give your reviews on how this turned out to be to you. Well, I hope you like it because I certainly enjoyed writing it. **

**Arthurian knight, All hail Lelouch! All hail Britannia!**


	2. Chapter 2: Flight

**After reading your reviews, I was thinking whether to do leave it or turn it into a story…so after much thought through the deep brain thingies inside my head…and plus a round house kick on the head in Karate class, I have decided to turn this One-shot into a short story. Hahaha, honestly speaking…the kick was not part of the joke. I really got hit and it hurts.**

**Anyway, your wishes are now true. Consider it as a gift for the New Year! Lol. As always, I accept any criticism as long as they're done **_**politely**_**. And yeah, **_**Worker72**_** you were right. After reading it again, I couldn't just leave it here. lol**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass.**

"NO!!!" Kallen screamed and leapt towards the Black Prince.

"Kallen!!!" Someone shouted. Lelouch's head lit up in horror as he saw a familiar red head charging towards him, her arms spreading protectively around her.

"Wait! Hold your fire!" One of the Black Knights shouted but it was too late. A burst was shot out and Lelouch saw that it stood between Kallen and him.

"KALLEN!!! NO!!" Using whatever strength he had left, Lelouch, Zero pushed the girl he loves aside from the rounds of the machine gun that fired at him. Time seemed to have slowed and Kallen screamed as he collided with her knocking her off balance with his arm. Sharp burning pain coursed through his body as the bullets struck his right breast, shoulder and stomach. He lost control of his legs and with a dull thud fell to the ground.

He let out a deep moan as he closed his eyes, blood pouring out of his mouth and wounds. His body was aching in pain from the wounds and he could feel his energy draining every second.

In a flash of red blur, Kallen's worried countenance immediately filled his vision. Teary deep blue eyes studying him close. Those eyes suited her well he thought for a moment.

"Lelouch!" Her strong arms lifted his head and held him in her arms. The pain…the intense burning pain twisting his guts, it disappeared…disappeared as if he had not been shot. The pain replaced by warmth of her body.

"Lelouch…" Kallen said her voice hoarse from her crying. Her tears trailed down her stunning face. The deep blue eyes never leaving his face. Even at this state, she looked lovely.

"Why…" She muttered unable to find the proper words. "Why…If I were a pawn then why did you…"

"I…had…to save…" Lelouch paused as he coughed out blood, the tears that had been threatening to escape flowing calmly down his cheeks. "…the one last person…I love…Livvee...on…Kaallennn…my heart…my queen…" With that last statement, everything went black.

***

_"…the one last person I love…"_

Kallen's eyes widened at his confession as if she could not believe what she had heard. How long had she thought of it…wanted it? Dreamt of it? She had realised after the conversation with Nunally that she had fallen head over heels in love with Lelouch, but until now she had never expected the emotion to be returned. If he had said that he saw her more than a mere soldier, Kallen would have followed him straight to hell. She hadn't realised it herself but it was open now, naked and raw. She blinked back tears of an emotion so profound it shook her very soul.

And now she was going to lose him.

"Livvee...on…Kaallennn…my heart…my queen…" His beautiful violet eyes closed and he fell back.

"NO! NO! LELOUCH! Please! I love you! Don't die on me now! I love you!!! Did you hear me!? I LOVE YOU!!! PLEASE!!!" Kallen let out a wail...not a cry but a very _pitiful_ wail and sobbed into his bloodied chest. Her cries shockingly were not muffled by his chest. And above the Black knights and even some of the Britannian officers including Cornelia herself watched aghast not with a little pity at the scene their anger momentarily stopped by such an act.

Kallen ignored them all, crying her heart out for Lelouch. She had not cried like this since her brother's death. Since his death, Kallen had sworn that she would never cry like this…no one would be able replace Naoto. No other men would ever meant to her so much. Not even Ohgi. Until now…

And he's gone...she had lost both of them...

"NO! Don't you dare die on me now! Not when…not when I know what is in your heart…"

But as she spoke the words…she felt something thumping against her skin. Kallen laid her head on Lelouch's chest. Did she felt his heart beat? Or was she just hoping it to be true? No, it _was_ his heart beat. Lelouch was still alive. Kallen felt her hopes coming back to life. But not for long. He needs medical attention. Fast. But not here.

Then she heard someone barking an order above her and prepared herself. She drew out her knife from her chest pocket and fixed in a reverse grip aiming for the shadow that was approaching.

"Move girl." An electronic voice demanded and gripped her shoulder hard. With a cry, she thrust the blade into the soldier's neck, just above the breastplate. Sensing another adversary beside her, Kallen brought her leg in a high round-house kick. Her booted foot collided with the Britannian soldier's face, cracking his visor. She used opportunity to grab the soldier she had impaled and hurled him against his fellows.

"Kallen, what are you doing?!" One of the Black Knights shouted. In response, Kallen took Lelouch's pistol and shot the officer who fired at Lelouch. The bullet struck the man in the head. That she killed one of her own Black Knights shocked everyone.

"Kallen, have you gone mad!?"

Using the chaos, Kallen grabbed Lelouch's unconscious form and hurled him over her shoulder and began to run to the Guren's hanger her desire to protect him giving her the strength to do the impossible.

"Kill her!!!" A Britannian officer shouted, his armoured soldiers training their weapons on the red-stressed Knightmare pilot.

"Wait! No!" Ohgi interrupted but the soldiers either didn't hear him or just ignored him and fired anyway. The guns roared but the rounds struck a violet coloured shield instead.

The Shinkirō appeared out of nowhere, its Druid System activated, startling everyone even Kallen who momentarily paused.

"Hurry! Save big brother!" Rolo's voice called out from the ebony Knightmare and used his Geass to freeze time around the pursuers.

"Take him!" The Shinkirō held out its hand and then disappeared, taking Lelouch with it.

"What the-where did it go?" With the Black Knights momentarily stun, Kallen rushed to the Guren.

Thankfully the hanger was empty and the Guren's cockpit was still open. Using the Guren S.E.I.T.E.N's superior speed, she easily passed the patrols of both Britannian and Black Knight forces without them even knowing. Until it was too late.

She found the Shinkirō flying out disappearing here and there still followed by some Akatsuki Jikisanshiyō and Vincent Wards. Anger boiling her she gave no mercy and fired her radiant wave surger arm at the unsuspecting Knightmares, taking them down without any trouble with the radiant blast crippling others.

"Kallen! What are you doing?!" Oghi's voice blared over her radio. "Are really going to side with that monster?!"

"GO TO HELL!" Kallen screamed back before cutting off communication, turning back to fire a radiant beam at the _Ikaruga_'s engine. The blood-red beam ate away the hulls with a large explosion.

It was aimed to prevent them from pursuing them. Looking at the damaged she caused with grim satisfaction, Kallen turned back following the Shinkirō.

**Sorry for the short chapter. It's not really that good but it shows that this story will be continued. It won't be a long one like _When Fates Converge _just a handful of chapters.  
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**Now review or I might get bored and kill Lelouch in this story!!!**

**Kallen: Try if you dare! (Pulling out her knife.)**

**Ohh! Scary...what are you going to do? Stab...(Knife coming at the neck)...ok nevermind.  
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	3. Chapter 3: Truth

**Wow, I did not expect to get this much review in a single day. Thanks for the support guys. To tell you the truth, I've been wondering what it would have been like if Kallen knew the truth that Lelouch really did saw her more than a common chess piece. I tried my best to make it look canon as possible. If there's any error, let me know. ****I'm not really sure how long this story would be because I'm doing it the same time with the **_**When Fates Converge**_**. I've already finished about 1/3 of the next chapter when I finish this.**

Lelouch had been expecting to see the devil waiting for him with fiery eyes and evil grin torturing him in the most horrific ways he could possibly imagine, mocking him at the same time. Surprising it did not matter to him. He regretted the deaths he had caused and he deserved this fate. He expected the faces of everyone he knew and cared about from the days as a prince till his time as the masked knight to blame and insult him.

Yet when his vision finally returned, the Black Prince found himself not facing the halls of bloody hell but at a dark night filled with a sea of stars which seemed to light up whatever darkness. It had always cheered him up. He and his sisters would often gaze at as a child. How he missed those days.

_"Wouldn't it be great to return back to those days where we would just play in the gardens?"_ Euphemia had asked him when they were stranded in the Kamine Island.

"I'm sorry, Euphie. This is all entirely my fault…"

He hoped they were all well in heaven or the next life as the Buddhists and Hindus believe in.

"I cannot forgive you for what you've done…" said a familiar voice.

The words struck him like a sword slicing through his chest as if it still existed.

"I'm sorry…" He murmured, tears flowing down his eyes. "I'm so…so...sorry…"

***

"I cannot forgive you for what you've done…" Kallen told Rolo when the younger boy explained to the former Black Knight ace what he had done. While she understood why he did it and how lonely and horrid his life was, Shirley's murder was far too much. She had almost killed him when Rolo told him despite knowing how dangerous he was but Kallen managed to control herself and remember their present situation.

"…but I am grateful for helping me save Lelouch."

"I would have gotten sooner but if I did I would have crushed you both. I didn't expect brother to do that."

Silently Kallen agreed. She could still hardly believe that Lelouch tried to save her at the cost of his own life. It was far more than she had expected out of him. What she really wanted was just for him to trust her like he would with CC. That she had a place in his heart was truly astonishing even for a dream.

What was even more astonishing was the discovery of the feelings she had for him. Kallen had not realised it though there were many moments where she had expected it. It explained why she was so jealous of CC whenever she saw the immortal close to Lelouch or when he would tell Kallen to leave them to their privacy. When Lelouch asked her to return to Ashford with her after the war, Kallen was visibly surprise.

_"Zero, I'm sorry. I've failed you."_

_"Never mind that!" _She remembered him snapping at her._ "KALLEN! Hang on! I promise! I WILL rescue you! Just hang on! Stay strong!"_

She remembered those words as if it was yesterday. When she heard the emotion in those words, Kallen dared hope that he thought of her more than just a soldier. The words were her symbols of hope. The light in the world of darkness. They gave her the will to withstand the torture at the hands of the Britannians. There were many times in prison when she felt the despair crawling up in her but just by thinking of him, dressed in the garb of Zero with cape bellowing speaking those words made it vanish. She had never lost hope that he would rescue her and he did. Not personally but it was under his personal order he did. Lelouch had created the UFN. He already had the rest of the free world under his banner. He could have gotten another ace. Lelouch had no knowledge of the Guren S.E.I.T.E.N. so when he ordered to save her, he had specifically chosen to save her.

Adding it together with what he said to her earlier and that he had pushed her aside to protect her with his own life whilst she was attempting to protect him with _her _life; it was clearly shown that he chose her life over his own.

For that, she _chose_ him. While Kallen felt guilty for betraying the Black Knights, she did not regret her decision. She suspected that the Britannians must have influenced them in some way. Perhaps later she would convince them that Zero had done more good than harm. But if they would get in her way again, Kallen would not hesitate to shoot to kill.

"I'm sorry…I'm so…so...sorry…"

Both Kallen and Rolo jumped from their seats as they heard Lelouch's voice. Before she even realise it, Kallen was already at Lelouch's side.

She inspected his wounds and was relived to see them well. Rolo had landed on some island and immediately set Lelouch down. By the time Kallen reached him, he was already ready with medical equipment from the Shinkirō. While she did not trust the assassin, Kallen trusted him enough to save Lelouch. Thankfully, Lelouch's wounds were not fatal and they managed to seal the injuries with little difficulty. They could not however take the bullet out of Lelouch's chest and stomach wounds at least not on the island.

Rolo admitted that he had considered taking him to a first aid camp in the Tokyo Settlement but Lelouch was losing too much blood so took him to the nearest land he found. It would last for the next few days.

"Lelouch…" Kallen murmured.

Lelouch turned his gaze to her. At first he did not seem recognise her then suddenly blurted.

"Kallen?"

She nodded, smiling at him.

But Lelouch suddenly shook his head; his eyes flaring wide, mouth wide open in horror.

"No…No! Not you too! I couldn't even save you! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Both Kallen and Rolo stared at Lelouch in surprise.

"Please!" Lelouch suddenly begged. "Please! I beg of you! Do what you want to me just please save her. Save her! I failed to save everyone else! Don't let her suffer because of my foolishness…" He cried.

"Lelouch! It's alright! We're safe. I'm alright." She added soothingly, tears absently flowing down her eyes so touched she was by his words. Kallen slipped her hand into his hand, holding it tight. "I'm alright. By your side."

That seemed to have helped as Lelouch's expression relaxed and lay back down on his folded tunic which served as his pillow.

"Where…where are we?"

"We're on an island. It's been one night since we got away. Don't worry. We're well out of the Black Knights' and Britannian range."

Lelouch grunted and tried to sit up only to groan in pain half way.

"Careful. You'll just reopen your wounds." Kallen helped him up slowly. Lelouch was as weak as a kitten, which had nothing to do with his inferior physical prowess.

"We managed to stop the bleeding but we'll still need to get the bullet out later." She explained as Lelouch inspected the bandaged injuries.

"They're well done." He commented after a while.

"It was mainly Rolo." Kallen admitted. "I just helped…"

"Rolo?" Lelouch blurted. "He saved us?"

Kallen nodded. "He did. And he told me everything. I know now."

Lelouch looked at his younger _brother_ in shock. Rolo gave a downcast look.

"I'm sorry, brother. About everything. But I think she deserves to know."

Before Lelouch could protest, Kallen grabbed his face and made him look at her.

"I know what you're going to say. And my answer is no. I will not leave you."

The prince turned away giving a small bitter chuckle. "You still say that after everything I put you through?"

"Lelouch, you did what you had to do. There was nothing more or less. Now that I understand your position, I'm willing to follow you till the end. I think I would have done the same if we were in different positions."

"But now they'll consider you as an enemy as well."

"I know." Kallen said after a moment. "I know. But they're not thinking straight. The Britannians probably told them only the horrible parts. I can convince them the tru-"

Lelouch shook his head. "No. They'll just think you're under my Geass. Kallen, by helping me, you just made yourself an enemy out of both the Black knights and Britannia. You've just-" Kallen would not let him go any further by grabbing him face again forcing him to look at her.

"Look," She waited until he looked at her straight in the eye. "As long as I'm with you, I don't care if I have to face the entire world with a pocket knife."

Lelouch stood aghast. "Kallen…"

"Now that I know that I mean more than a common soldier to you, I don't care what about your mistakes or faults. I'm here because I _choose_ to be here. You told me that I have been following my heart all along. I'm still doing it now."

"I…" For once, Lelouch was lost for words. He was already half in awe of her devotion to him. How could she still believe in him after everything he did? "I…I don't deserve this…"

In response, Kallen snorted. "If you didn't, I would have kill you myself." She added the last part with a mischievous smile.

From a distance, Rolo watched the pair carefully. He was just as shocked as Lelouch was at Kallen's proclamation. While the young assassin had always been dedicated in his duty, Rolo had only done it because it was the only thing he could do. But Kallen had specifically chosen to protect Lelouch over her own duty as a Black knight.

They say people would do crazy things for the ones they love…love…was that it? But she was not even related to him in anyway…

A loud beep from the Shinkirō brought him back to reality. Rushing back to the Knightmare, he saw that there were Black Knight and Britannian Knightmares coming towards their position.

"Big Brother! Enemy Knightmares! They're approaching our position! They'll be here in about fifteen minutes."

Lelouch nodded. "As expected of Schneizel." He murmured. "Alright we need to get out of here. If my guess is right, Schneizel is preparing to overthrow the Emperor."

"What? Why would he do that?" Kallen asked as she began to pack up the camp.

"I'll explain on the way. But first we need to get to Kamejima Island."

**Ok that's all for this one. I wanted a chapter focusing on their reunion only so I did this first. Well the length of this story will really depend on how it will go and of course you guys as well.**

**Now review or I'll…(Looks behind to hear Kallen sharpening her knife)…I'll see **_**her**_** after you!**

**Kallen: What?**

**Uh…Someone said Lelouch should remain dead…**

**Kallen: WHO!? WHO'S THE BASTARD?!**

**Him/Her. (Pointing to the some guy out the window.)**

**Kallen: AGRAH!!! (Leaps out of the window)**

**(Shivering) Scary…**


	4. Chapter 4: Battle of Kamejima Island

**Well, as promised the long awaited battle has arrived! A note though, with the Guren at his side, Rolo still alive, the progress of Lelouch's venture to the island far quicker than in the anime. Just in case if anyone gets confused. Oh Yea, here Lelouch still thinks the only way to defeat Charles is to trap the Emperor so don't get confused! Let's just say I don't want to kill the Emperor just yet.  
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_**"This is radio or otherwise"**_** and **_**this is thought**_

"So the Emperor is now immortal? Like C.C? But then how will we defeat him?"

"We can't kill him. The only way now it's to trap him in the C's world."

_By the gods, why am I telling her all of this?!_ Lelouch suddenly thought. _I want to keep her away of all of this, not involve her! She must not be another Shirley. But it's probably too late now. Besides she'll just follow me anyway and I can't use Geass on her again. The best way to protect her now is to keep her close to him._ He stared at Kallen's brave determined face on the monitor screen. She believed it all that he told her: the purge of the Geass Directorate, the Emperor's immortality, his role in Euphemia's massacre, everything…so… so readily. For some reason, he felt a sudden surge of…was that joy?-in his chest. But there was no time to think about that.

"How will we do that?" Kallen asked, bring the prince back to reality.

"We'll need to destroy the Thought Elevator. It's on Kamejima Island. It's the same place where we found the Gawain back in the old days."

"Yes, I remember. How do we destroy it?"

"I think your radiation blast would be sufficient. That would trap him there for all eternity. However, it'll likely be guarded by the Knights of the Round probably the Knight of One himself and the Imperial Guard."

"It doesn't matter. With the Guren S.E.I.T.E.N, I can handle them easy."

"Don't underestimate them, especially Bismarck. His skills are beyond even Suzaku's level."

"Do you have so little faith in me, Lelouch?" Kallen asked with a mischievous grin.

Despite himself Lelouch found himself grinning back. "Of course not! I just want you to be careful. It's likely that he may even have Geass."

"Understood." Kallen nodded, becoming serious.

"Remember." He warned. "You must try to disable the Imperial Air Fleet before they can deploy their Knightmares. Schneizel and the Black Knights are close behind as well. We must be able to punch a hole in their defences and get to the island. Otherwise we'll be trapped between two armies. They'll be doing everything they can to keep us from the Emperor. I'll try to bring up some _reinforcements_." He gestured to his eye. "Don't worry. Rolo has me covered."

"You can count on me, Big Brother."

Kallen was not sure whether Lelouch still planned to kill Rolo for Shirley's murder but right now, the entire world was at stake.

"Lelouch?"

"Yes?"

"Don't do anything crazy."

Lelouch chuckled at the irony. "That goes for you too."

"And one last thing, Lelouch." She said as the Guren started to speed up. "I think we've been talking too long in this situation but since the world we know could very well disappear I want you to know that I have absolutely no regrets in this decision."

"Kallen…"

Blue eyes met violet ones despite that they were watching each other through a monitor. An unfamiliar emotion coursed through them both. Something thrilling yet terrifying even more than the battle that awaits them. With a great deal of effort, the two closed communications and turned to their respective paths. Lelouch had been initially planning to seal himself with the Emperor so that that man, Geass as well as himself could be trapped forever.

But now with Kallen following him, he suddenly felt the urge not to do it. If he trapped himself there for eternity, he would not only damn Kallen to the hands of the Black Knights and Britannia but also be betraying her sacrifice. She had lost too much because of him at this point. The least he could do is to make sure Kallen had a peaceful life to live in the future. As soon as that's done…

Focusing himself back to work at hand, Lelouch thought through the expected resistance. He was facing against some of the powerful knights in Britannia, the Emperor's own Royal Guard. They must have been drawn a perimeter around the area. With most of the battle going on in the Tokyo Settlement, they would be patrolling the seas and air around the island and ordered not to let anyone come near it. The Emperor would not want anyone near the island while he activates Ragnarok.

He was suddenly grateful of having Kallen here. With her in the new Guren alone, they could destroy the Armada quickly but that presence of the Knight of One worried him. He had seen him before in the palace and Bismark Waldstein startled him as an extremely powerful knight. If his deduction was true, Bismark likely had a Geass as well. While he had faith in Kallen, Lelouch could not help but be worried about her. He briefly wondered when Jeremiah would arrive with CC in the Sutherland Sieg. He knew he could trust Jeremiah to protect CC and that they could use his help now but it would take him some time to be here. Thinking about green-haired immortal he remembered that time when she asked if he was worried about Kallen.

_"Not really."_ He had answered.

_"Oh poor girl."_

_"What do you mean?"_ Lelouch had asked puzzled.

_"Nothing."_

"Brother, there's a Britannian patrol ahead of us."

"Good. Rolo, drop us off at the clearing ahead. We'll start with the ground forces." Right now, he would still need to keep Rolo alive. He's going to need everyone he could get his hands on.

***

**Meanwhile on Kamine Island**

Guard Captain Sir Harold Mattius and his men were ordered to prevent anyone from coming near the site. Although it was strange that the Emperor would come here while the battle against the UFN was in Area 11, the captain did not really care. The Emperor did what he wished and no one would stop him, Mattius would see to it.

Just as he was going to ask his lieutenants in their Vincents for any reports, an Imperial shuttle suddenly arrived near them. At first, he was going to inform them to leave the area when a man with brown hair bearing the mantle of the Knight of Seven came out. He recognised the man as Sir Suzaku Kururugi otherwise known as the White Knight of Britannia. Despite being a number, the Emperor had kept this knight by his side a lot of time.

However, there was something different about this knight since he last saw him. He did not walk with the fluid calm and grace Mattius had seen before. And he did not like the look on his face at all. Not at all!

"Where is his majesty?" The Knight of Seven demanded.

"That is none of your concern, Sir Kururugi. I am not allowed to let anyone-" His words were cut off as a blade suddenly sliced through his throat. His companion started to turn his rifle around but Kururugi had turned his blade back and slashed, cutting him down.

Several grey uniformed guardmen appeared from the rocks and fired at the traitor but the knight charged at them with inhuman speed, _dodging_ the bullets coming at him. With a spinning kick, Suzaku knocked the soldiers down, sending them flying back into the rocks they appeared from.

Giving them a single glance, Suzaku turned away. In the past he would have cursed himself for this unnecessary killing but now he didn't give a damn. He had been a fool before. Now only results matter…

***

"My lady! There's an unidentified Knightmare coming at us!"

"What?" Monica Kruszewski walked over to the officer to clarify it. Last she checked there was neither a single Britannian Army nor another other vessel in the area and by the Emperor's own orders no one was allowed to come here. This does not look good. The Emperor himself had just left the Island with Bismark. This could be an assassination attempt.

"What is that?" She looked at the monitor seeing the red-violet light dancing around.

"Zoom into that!" Monica ordered and then she saw that it was a Knightmare and upon slowly she recognised it. "It's…it's the Guren! All Knightmares deploy! His majesty must be protected!"

"Yes, my lady!"

***

In mere minutes, Kallen found herself facing about at least about twenty to thirty gold and green Vincents. So much for the "Destroying them before they appear plan" she thought. But then again, they _were_ the Royal Guard. Instead Kallen charged them head on, shooting out her surger arm and fired a blast of radiant wave. The crimson beam took down about five of the Royal Guard Vincents at once before the others spread out to escape it. She wouldn't let them and used the arm to follow up her attack firing her radiant waves along with it like a web catching several more of the Vincents.

In a single move, Kallen had taken down the half of the entire Guard. The rest spread out in two groups each at her flank, firing sabot rounds on her in a pincer move. She used both her energy wings and radiant wave as shields and charged at the group on her left. Bullets that did not struck her shield flew pass her. Inside if looks as if it was raining sabot rounds on her.

Some of the Royal Guards must have realised how useless their attacks was as they lowered their rifles and drew out their MVS double bladed lances. They charged at her from different sides attempting to surround her.

Big mistake.

Kallen dodged the first swing and smashed her adversary aside with her radiant arm. The second one came at once, the blade turning crimson as it came. Kallen met the attack with her own blade. Her violet MVS knife shattered the Vincent's blade in a single contact like glass. Using the momentum, the former Black Knight turned the energy wings around and used them to slash the Vincent's chest, cutting it neatly in half.

The rest of the group took the opportunity to attack at once with those armed with rifles keeping her at bay while the others tried to flank her their swords at the ready. Kallen admired their bravery and skills. And they were definitely not stupid, attacking her in strategically.

But it would take more than that to bring down Kallen Kozouki!

Letting them cluster around her, Kallen fired her surger arm in a wide burst around her. The radian waves spread engulfing every Knightmare around her. The entire group was caught in the blast. Their Knightmare armour started bubbling under the crimson light and exploded. In an instant, the sky was showered with pieces of metal.

The remaining Royal Guards retreated back knowing the danger of fighting her in close combat, attacking her from a distance. But Kallen was not without range attacks either fired several energy disks into their ranks. They dispersed from the attacks but a few of the disks struck home, beheading and severing limbs. The survivors pulled back to regroup.

Before Kallen could recover however, a slash harken struck pass her, scratching some armour otherwise not doing any real damage. As the wired blades retracted, another Vincent charged forward, slamming a kick at the Guren. Kallen dodged the attack and spur around enough to block an upcoming blow from its sword with her MVS knife.

This one's colour however, Kallen noticed was of a lighter shade than its comrades. Kallen shoved it back and used her radiant arm to grab it but the pilot was fast and flew out of her reach. She fired the arm out giving the Vincent chase but it managed to dodge the radiant beams at ease.

"You will not pass!" A female voice roared from the Vincent. "Not while I, Monica Kruszewski, Knight of Twelve had anything to do about it."

_"A Knight of the Rounds?"_ Kallen thought. That explains its superior skills.

"I don't know who you are but this is as far as you go!" The Knight declared and charged at Kallen, wielding the MVS blades in both hands.

"If you want to die, then come on!" The crimson-haired girl replied and moved to meet her head on.

Kallen fired her radiant wave as the Britannian knight came and emerald Knightmare dodged the blast and swung her sword. Kallen blocked the attack with one of her wings and slashed her knife which Monica quickly moved away and slashed again forcing the half-Japanese pilot to back.

The Knight of Twelve used the advantage to charge up its needle blazer and lunged at Kallen with it. The former Black knight responded back, her own radiant arm charged up. The focused electronic energy met the radiant blast with a huge display of energy burst forcing both combatants to pull back. Before Monica could recover, Kallen lunged forward again this time with a side kick, striking it in the chest then twisted with a roundhouse kick in the head smashing the Vincent away.

Then just as Kallen recovered to finish her off, the _Logres_-class Floating Battleship: _Great Britannia_ fired its guns on her. _All_ was right: Gattling guns, auto-cannons, missiles. They came at her like bees over honey.

If she had been in the old Guren, it would end here and now. But with the Guren S.E.I.T.E.N, Kallen was _invincible_ and she used her radiant wave as a shield to block the attacks, destroying missiles and melting sabot rounds.

"You want to see fire? Here have some of this!" She fired a blast of radiant beam at the ship's main engine, destroying it with a single blast. As she flew pass the sinking ship, the Knight of Twelve charged at her again. Saving her any further humiliation, Kallen fired her surger arm skewering the Vincent.

_"Kallen, good job!"_ Lelouch's voice blared from her radio. _"Now, we need to trap the Emperor inside! Hurry! Rolo will hold the rest of the Armada off."_

"Right."

As she starts to pull back down, two full squadrons of Sutherlands and Vincent Wards suddenly passed her along with two _Caerleon_-Class Floating Battleships.

That must have been her reinforcements. One of the Wards disappeared suddenly and appeared somewhere else, leaving a trail of explosions. Seeing how he had things in hand, Kallen turned back to the Island to look for the Emperor.

***

**At the sametime as the Guren began its attack**

**On the Kamine Ruins itself**

"Agrah!" The Royal Guardsman screamed as Suzaku cut him down, joining the two other bodies of his comrades. He had the Britannian Emperor trapped in front of this huge excavation site. It would be over soon. Yet despite this the Emperor remained as calm as ever.

"Was this treason Schinzel's idea? He asked.

"It was my decision. Your Majesty, I appreciate your patronage…that can not questioned. But you are guilty of two crimes."

"Oh?" The massive man raised an eyebrow.

"First abandoning your responsibility as Emperor…And second," He raised his sword pointing at the Britannian Emperor. "Dirtying your hands with the power of Geass!"

Despite the threat, Charles did not made a single move but asked, "Is that a capital crime?"

"Geass takes good men and bend them to evil. You knew that. You could have saved Euphie. It would have been so easy but instead you abandoned her!"

"So what?"

Suzaku grimaced at the blunt question. Lelouch was right. He was a heartless monster.

"You also drove Lelouch and Nunnally away!" He said, passionately raising his sword high in the form of the _Guard of the Hawk_. His former anger for Zero had now turned for the Emperor. "Their despair is in this sword! DIE!"

He lunged and swung his sword down with all his might. The blade would have buried onto his skull but instead a gold and black blade met it half way in a shower of sparks.

Suzaku stared in surprise at the wielder of the great sword who revealed to a huge man bearing the mantle of the Knight of One: Sir Bismarck Waldstein.

"Lord Waldstein? What are you here?!" Suzaku demanded.

"Did you think you were the only one who knew about Geass? It takes many forms." Suzaku gritted his teeth as he realised how naïve he had been to think the Emperor as defenceless. "And who could be foolish enough to relax his guard with a man who constantly betrays everyone who trusts him?"

"Bismarck, I leave this mundane matter to you."

"Yes, Your Majesty. So be it." With that Charles turned to the cave.

"Hold on!" Suzaku shouted after him while struggling against Bismarck. The Knight of One gave him a malicious grin as his patched eye glows blood red. With that he shoves Suzaku off with a single swing of his massive great sword. Suzaku tried to go after the Emperor but the constant attacks of Bismarck kept him down.

The Japanese knight lunged again and again hoping to get pass Bismarck so he could bring a single strike on Charles and end everything but his opponent kept on fending him off at ease. He watched the Emperor walking up to the entrance of the Kamejima Ruins as his latest attack failed.

This time Suzaku's "live on" command started to flare up again as he struggled to regain his composure against Bismarck's vicious blows. Not even Todoh had come closer to his attacks.

_"No! My Geass command that compiles me to live! It's screaming at me to runaway!"_ He thought as Bismarck walked calmly towards him with his sword at the ready. _"Is the Knight of One that dangerous as an opponent?!"_

Gritting his teeth at this weakness, the Japanese knight readied his blade again and charged.

"I left my weakness!" He screamed as he jumped and brought his sword down with all the strength he had.

"Weakness? Fool! What you called _weakness_…" The Knight of One with a single swing not only parried Suzaku's attack but also sent him flying back several yards. "That was the source of strength!" He continued, coming up at him. That blow had not only taken away his only weapon but also momentarily stunned his body with the landing. Although it was temporary, Suzaku knew that it was all Bismarck needed to make the killing blow.

"Gentleness and compassion was what drove you! Take those away and you're left with nothing but violent. Which means…"

The Japanese knight could only stare at Bismarck's sky blue eyes as the Knight of One readied the final blow.

"You will die here, Suzaku Kururugi!"

But just as he said it, a loud explosion erupted from a distance and he saw a some more yellow bubbles in the distance.

Forgetting Suzaku, Bismarck looked for his comlink and demanded answers from _Great Britannia _but could not get through. Cursing, the Knight of One turned to one of the Royal Guard units.

"What is going on!?"

_"My lord, the reinforcements from Shikine Island are turning on us!"_

"Is it an open rebellion?!"

_"Yes, milord."_ The Guard Captain replied, although he could hear explosions. _"How is the Emperor?"_

"His Majesty is the safest location! We must-huh?" He turned to find Suzaku running, not at the Emperor but _away_ from it.

_'Lelouch! This is __**my**__ burden!' _Suzaku thought as his Geass command ordered him to retreat.

Then suddenly a stray missile struck them, sending the Knight of Seven down a crater.

Seeing that the traitor knight was no longer a threat, Bismarck called the loyalist commanding officer. "Who is in command?"

_"It's Lady Monica Kruszewski__ the Honourably Knight of Twelve. I'll patch you through to her!" _After a pause, she was on the line.

_"Lord Bismarck!_ _The _Great Britannia_ is under attack!"_ She shouted.

"What?!"

_"It's…it's the Guren! The machine from the Black Knights."_

"Hold them, Kruszewski! I'll join you with the Galahad!"

_"Yes, milord! What…I…I'm defeated?"_ With that her transmission was cut.

"Monica! Damn!"

***

"Lelouch! Are you alright?" Kallen asked as she saw his face on her monitor screen. He looked even paler than ever.

"I'm alright. Remember what you must do! Destroy the Ruins and end this!!!"

**Cliff hanger!!! I tried my best to make it look as canon as possible. If there's any questions sent it along with your reviews. I hope the battle scenes are ok. And I'll be getting my O level results on the 11th!!! AHHH!!!! Damn scared!!! Wish me luck guys so I'll still have the resolve to finish this story which I suddenly want to do!!!**

**Oh, yes.  
**

**And Good luck to those who have exams as well!!**

**Next chapter or chapters: The Guren Vs the Galahad and the Rise of a New Era!**


	5. Chapter 5: Guren VS Galahad

**Sorry for taking so long. I had been busy for the past few days. The story continues! (Edited)  
**

As Kallen fought her way through the rest of the Imperial Guard, she could not help but keep glancing at Lelouch. The prince had followed her in the Shinkirō providing covering fire for her with the wrist mount Haldron cannons but due to his condition his movements were slow, pausing every now and then. She was grateful that they were escorted by a trio of Sutherlands armed with lances and rifles.

The rest of their small Geassed army engaged the Armada with Rolo leading them. Some time later the old familiar ruins on the Island came in view.

"There it is! Kallen, destroy it-…what?"

As the duo descended upon the Ruins, a black and light purple Knightmare suddenly charged towards them, firing a cluster of miniature slash harkens. Both of them managed to move out of the way and Kallen instantly retaliated with a blast of her radiant beam.

But their new adversary was quick and dodged the attack without effort and charged towards them. Kallen moved to meet it head on, her surger arm already charged. But as she unleashed her radiant wave, the violet-ebony Knightmare dodged the attack easily and lung forward again. Cursing, the former Black Knight ace swung her MVS knife. But again the Knightmare avoided the blow.

Lelouch, recovering from the attack, studied this new enemy. Its frame design was that of the Gawain save for size and had many similarity to it unlike the Shinkirō. It did not seem to have the Druid System nor did it seem to have any range attacks either save the slash harkens. But the massive golden cross-like float system looked familiar.

As the new Knightmare moved out of the Guren's reach, it reached for the tip of the large cross its back and from it pulled out a massive purple bladed sword. Upon seeing the weapon, Lelouch realised at once who they were facing.

"Kallen, watch out! That's the Galahad. It's the Knight of One himself!"

It was as if Bismarck heard him as the ebony Knightmare suddenly turned its attention not at Kallen but at _him_ and charged the sword at the ready. His Geassed pilots responded at once and charged obediently with their lances. It was a foolhardy effort and the Knight of One just zoom passed them, leaving only shattered pieces in its wake. The last pilot charged in with his lance.

But before the tip could even be levelled, the Emperor's Knight had manoeuvred behind him and with a single stroke of his great sword, decapitated both the pilot and the Knightmare. With astounding speed, the Knightmare turned back to its original target.

Lelouch barely had to time activate the Druid System to block the attack. The shields appeared just in time to stop the blade from slicing through his head. The Emperor's personal knight then withdrew and delivered blow after blow at him from different angles. The former prince barely managed to use block the raining blows on him and only his quick calculations altogether with equally quick reactions managed to save him from being torn to pieces. But it came at a price as Lelouch felt a sharp pain coming from his shoulder wound. Gritting his teeth against the pain, the prince fought on.

Bismarck must have noticed it as well as the Knight of One swung a vicious blow causing Lelouch to block one side while the Knight used its fingered slash harkens to fire at point-blank range forcing the prince back.

"You must be Zero!" Bismarck's voice blared over the radio. "I do not know how you found out about this or how you convinced those men to rebel against the Empire but you will not touch the Emperor while I, Bismarck Waldstein draws breathe!"

Before he could make another move, three crimson disks flew straight at the Galahad. The Knight of One used the Excalibur to deflect the energy disks and moved away as the Guren delivered knife swing. The radiant beam that followed afterwards would have ended him if it weren't for his quick reflexes.

_She's fast…her skills matched that of any of the Rounds… _Bismarck mused. _No wonder, the Royal Guard fell so easily to her._

"Lelouch! Are you alright?" Kallen's worried face appeared on the monitor as the Guren stood protectively around the Shinkirō.

"I'm fine...Watch out!" He quickly fired a Haldron blast at the menacing knight who dodged the attack. Kallen followed it with her own beam. The attacks caused the Galahad to withdraw a respectable distance, readying its sword for another attack. Kallen followed him firing her missiles at him. Bismarck easily avoided the projectiles and returned with a broad swipe that could have decapitated Kallen if she had not blocked with her energy wings.

Taking advantage of the distance, Kallen lunged forward with her surger arm to destroy the Imperial Knight once and for all but Bismarck knew exactly what she was going to do and moved out of its way as he struck again at her energy wing again using the impact to pull himself away from the Guren.

The Galahad attacked again but this time not at the Guren but at the Shinkirō. Lelouch took the opportunity to fire his chest beam. Bismarck however was too quick and he dodged the violet beam and with one hand, fired his fingered slash harkens. Lelouch quickly turned off the sphere opening and reactivated his shield but that effort cost him.

"Damn!" Lelouch cursed as pain coursed through his shoulder when he suddenly moved. While he managed to stop Bismarck's attack, Lelouch could feel his bullet wounds again. His injuries were started to tell the difference in battle. The pain was almost unbearable and he could feel his shoulder wet from the blood.

Unfortunately for him, the Knight of One took that advantage to charge from a different angle with broad swipe and despite the shield, the force of the blow sent the Shinkirō flying back. The impact caused Lelouch to slam hard against his seat. The pain on his shoulder increased tenfold, causing a miscalculation in his shield system and a gap appeared.

"I don't want to male any unnecessary killing. This will all end, here with your life!" The Knight of One said, aiming his sword at the gap and thrust.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!!!" Kallen's outraged voice screamed over the radio; her beautiful face became consorted with fury.

The Knight of One managed to get out of the way of the raging Lioness just in time as her surger arm shot out, firing a radiant blast. The Galahad dodged both attacks and swung its sword which Kallen blocked with her knife then with a quick jerk and gave it a spinning kick in head. The blow struck the Galahad in the head forcing it back.

Before it could recover, the Guren charged again raining energy disks as she came. Bismarck used the Excalibur to deflect or block them all but as he deflected the last disk the Guren came spinning at him her energy wings made her it look like a spinning lotus. It suddenly lunged with a sweeping slash with the MVS Knife. As blades clashed, the momentum of her attack, forced the Knight of One back. Kallen lunged again with her surger arm almost catching him. When he pulled way, Bismarck did so with a trail of energy beam following him.

"She's…_powerful_!" Bismarck exclaimed as he dodged or deflect attack after attack. It was not just the Knightmare's power but the pilot's incredible skills. As he thought about it, he was barely able to deflect another hit by the surger arm.

From what he remembered from the reports of the battle earlier, if he allowed himself to be caught by that arm it's the end for him. This was indeed a dangerous foe even for one such as him.

"You are indeed worthy of the title of the Knight of Zero." Bismarck announced, not hiding any tone of admiration for his opponent. A worthy foe deserved to be rightly praised no matter who they were or where they came from. "I never expected to use this again," The Knight of One said slowly raising his sword high. "But you leave me no choice!" His left eye flared crimson and the patches broke free revealing a glowing eye with the Geass symbol in the pupil.

"Behold the power of the mightiest knight in the Empire!"

Kallen had taken Lelouch's words to heart but this newly powered Bismarck still managed to unnerve her slightly. The Galahad charged at her, the massive sword at the ready. Kallen moved into to meet the attack; their blades clashing pass each other in a shower of sparks. But as she pulled away from him, Bismarck fired his fingered slash harkens.

The crimson-stressed pilot move to avoid it but the harkens still struck her right where she moved and Bismarck used them to tossed her away, using her own speed against her.

"What?! He knew my flight path?" Kallen asked, in surprise as she turned back for a second attack.

"My Geass gives me the power to see into the future!" Bismarck shouted, as he charged again. Kallen used her MVS Knife as a faint attack while she thrust her surger arm but the Knight of One knew the movement and countered accordingly: parrying her Knife and dodging her arm. With that he brought his sword down on her back and the energy wings were the only thing that saved her.

"Again?!"

"Be honoured, knight. The only time I had ever needed to use this power was when I battled Lady Marianne!"

Kallen attacked again, this time raining down energy disks. This time the Galahad went on the offensive, dodging the crimson projectiles. She continued to fire this time in a more random fashion but still the Knight of One managed to dodge them all. This time Kallen fired her slash harkens but Bismarck blocked it with the Excalibur.

With that he thrust one hand out firing his slash harkens. Kallen intercepted it with her MVS knife hoping to sever them but then Bismarck suddenly pulled the harkens back just a few yards from her. Then he used his right hand to bring his sword down on her. Kallen managed to block the attack just in time with her knife and then lunged forward with her surger arm.

"This ends…Ah!" Before her arm could reach him, Bismarck's extended slash harkens turned back like a whip striking her hard enough to make a dent in her armour. Then the Knight of One moved to bring his sword down but then suddenly backed away at the last moment where a violet beam lanced out from one side.

"Kallen! Are you alright?" Lelouch's face appeared on her monitor screen. Even in her exhausted state, and if Kallen had thought Lelouch looked bad earlier, this was nothing in comparison to it now. Seeing Lelouch's only chance of survival was to be away from this fight, she spoke.

"Lelouch," She panted. "Go stop the Emperor! I'll hold him off."

"What?! I will not leave you!"

"Don't worry about me. Geass or not, I can handle him! You have to go and defeat the Emperor or there won't even be a world to save! It's too dangerous for you here. Your injuries will only get yourself killed."

"No. I won't lose you like I lost Shirley!"

"You won't! I'll be fine. Just go!"

Lelouch opened his mouth to protest but another surge of pain from his injuries reminded him that he was useless in this fight but that didn't help calm him. While the Guren S.E.I.T.E.N was by far superior to the Galahad, Bismarck's Geass whatever it was, could easily turn the tide. Geass had played a major factor that turned tables many times. But Rolo was still battling the Imperial Guard and his own Geass can't be used without eye contact. There was no way to help her. It was frustrating.

"Please, Lelouch! Do it for Nunnally!" Memories of his beloved sister flowed through his mind. Nunnally…Poor…Nunnally…It was his fault that this happened. She was so innocent only wanting what was best for everyone. If he had not been so revenge ridden back then he could have seen what the Lancelot was carrying…No. He could not argue with that. For Nunnally!

"Alright." He reluctantly agreed. "But put this in your head!" Lelouch shouted, as the Shinkirō turned away towards the Ruins.

"**Kallen, you have to live**!!!"

"Yes…my lord!" Kallen said instinctively, surprising herself. A year ago, Kallen would have never to even think of such a phrase but now that she realised that the man she admired as Zero, the man she had pledged her life to, the man who would resurrect her brother's dream was a Britannian Prince, the words just came out automatically. To put it simple: Lelouch was a prince and she was his knight. She felt a smile forming on her lips as she prepared herself against the Emperor's personal knight.

For the first time in her life, Kallen had truly accepted herself as a Britannian.

***

**Meanwhile with the Black Knights and the Avalon**

"The _Great_ _Britannia_ is in range now, General."

"Everyone prepare to engage on my signal." General Kyoshiro Tohdoh sighed as he gave the order. Even though he was convinced that Zero had betrayed them, for some reason he did not feel right in their choice. That their masked knight was a Britannian prince was acceptable. Background did not matter. But that Zero had used them like pawns was too much! He played with the lives of many of Todoh's comrades and many others. He left them during the peak of what would have been a deceive battle and used his Geass to enslave many people and caused them to slaughter so many innocent civilians. And he admitted it. He was a demon in a human body!

Yet, if he had seen them all as pawns why did he sacrifice himself to save Kozuki?

They assumed at first that her loyalty because of his Geass but if she was then why would he shield her? Was there something else between them? Was there something more to this war than meets the eye? That she admitted her feelings was not a surprise because many noticed the bond between the two and the way Zero reacted when she was captured. So he did have feelings for her as well…

But many Black Knights now consider her a traitor or had been Geassed depending on their own interpretation especially after she destroyed the _Ikaruga_'s engines. The official report they made was that she had died in the F.L.E.I.A and they got a new Guren pilot which was stolen. Whatever it was they would be facing her in the new Guren when they fight Lelouch.

Now that his anger subsided, Tohdoh began to see some light in these so call lies. He called them pawns. True but did he do it on purpose? He seemed to have gone mad after the F.L.E.I.A incident. Did Lelouch provoke them on purpose? The Japanese General did not know. He did not trust Schneizel and suspected that he had twisted the real truth into making them turn against his brother.

But it did not matter anymore. Japan would be free now. It was not the right path. To turn one of your own to the enemy for the goal. In that matter, they were much like Lelouch himself. Now they were aiding Schneizel in turn for returning Japan who had turned against his own father. Whatever the reason was, if Schneizel wins, Japan would be free. So they were fighting for Japan. For Japan…the phrase did not seem right with their new course of action. It was neither in the way of the Samurai nor that of the Knights.

"May the ancestors forgive us for what we must do..." Tohdoh muttered as the Black Knights descended towards the battle between the Britannian Imperial Guard and Lelouch's forces.

***

Yet, in spite of the knowledge and his own confidence in his knight, Lelouch was still worried about Kallen. What surprised him was that he was more worried about her than himself. Logically speaking, Kallen was the only other pilot he knew to take on Bismarck himself other that bastard of a friend Suzaku. Schneizel and the Black Knights were already on their way and about to reach them. They could be a serious threat to Kallen who would be exhausted by the time she finished Bismarck. They would not try to capture her since they assumed she was under the command his Geass. Which means: he would have to quickly destroy the Ruins.

He took the Shinkirō down to the Ruins where he saw several dead soldiers wearing the uniform of the Emperor's own Royal Guard. Taking a closer look, he saw that they were dead from sword wounds.

Lelouch smirked. Schneizel had no idea that Charles was an immortal. Whoever this assassin was, he was in for a shocking surprise.

Thinking of his brother the former prince took a glance at the battle raging on. Schneizel must have sensed his man had failed too as his brother's Royal Guard and the Black Knights were engaging the Imperial Guard openly who were engaged with Rolo and his Geassed army who were now moving to engage the newcomers as well. This three way battle would have been funny if the situation was not so dire.

Putting that aside, Lelouch focused on his task at hand. It was here he would do it. The Emperor would be sealed from the face of the earth once and for all. What would he do after that? Lelouch wondered. A great part of him desired his life to end. Part of him wanted to just crash the Shinkirō into the seas.

He could also seal himself with his hated father in the World of C! Lelouch found that extremely appealing. He would banish two evils forever from this very plane. It did not matter to him if he had died. Lelouch had lost everyone he had ever cared about: his mother, his sisters, his friends...he realised why CC wanted so badly to die. There was no point in living now...at least in this world.

Lelouch could see in his mind what he truly was in the world. He was no hero. He was no Knight of Justice. He was a cold, ruthless, selfish murderer. A demon. The former prince could see the thousands of souls in the afterlife condemning him, cursing him.

"You have taken everything I've ever cared about, everyone I loved, pushing me into the corner of darkness with nothing but anger and hate!" He opened his chest plate on the Shinkirō preparing to fire the Phase Transition Cannon and finally destroy the accursed place.

"I won't let you harm _her_. This will end here. Have fun in the C-world…Father."

Then suddenly his alarm systems suddenly ring and he saw a familiar violet-pink Knightmare from the distance.

"Destroy target." A monotonous voice muttered. And the Mordred fired.

A massive red and black beam lanced out at the black-gold Knightmare, almost overcoming it saved only by Lelouch's quick movements. The rest of the beam faded away into the distance.

"You again?! I don't have time for you!" The former prince snarled as he attempt to recover to fire the beam cannon. He brought one arm and let loose of a ball of crimson-black energy at the enemy Knightmare to distract it. The Haldron blast struck the Mordred's Blaze Luminous Shield causing the Knightmare to glow eerie green in the darkness.

In response, the Mordred opened her smaller cannons and rained the beams down on Lelouch which he was barely able to dodge.

The former prince struggled to get a clear shot at the ruin entrance but the Knight of Six would not give him a moment to respite. She rained blast after blast at him starting from the minor missile launchers and Haldron beams to the large Stark Haldron Cannon with each shot close to blasting him to dust.

Lelouch considered his chances against this Knight. He knew the Mordred like his Shinkirō did not have any close range weaponry but its armour and incredible raw strength could easily crush him. But in his condition, he knew he would not be able to last long in the firefight and he could feel his strength growing weaker. The best way was his first objective: destroy the Ruins. The Knight was merely here to buy time for Charles. But that won't happen!

As Lelouch blocked the latest attack with his shields, he fired his chest beam at the Mordred. To his surprise, the purple Knightmare lunged forward. With a swift motion, he managed to avoid it and fired his Haldron cannons. Not at the Mordred but at the Ruins itself. The energy balls contacted with the columns on its entrance with a loud explosion and caused a small avalanche down on it. It wasn't however enough to seal it though however.

"Damn!" Lelouch cursed at his wounds for making him miss his target. As expected of a Knight of the Round, the Mordred seemed to be angered by that attempt and attacked him with a viciousness he had rarely seen. It could not have been in a worse time as Lelouch's wounds had reopened and his vision had begun to blur.

Struggling against both the pain and the little energy he had left, Lelouch charged at the purple Knightmare with his shields surrounding him like wings. The barrage of missiles and haldron beams struck the Shinkirō destroying its right shoulder and left leg and leaving many other wounds. Then the Mordred caught him by the torso with a smooth lung.

"Stupid." He heard the Knight mutter.

"Oh really?" With that he shot out the prism from his chest then fired his chest beam into it out into the open. The prism stood out in the skies and the beam refracted into dozens of pin point lasers with half of them peppering the Ruins. It took much concentration and calculation struggling against both the situation and his own pain but Lelouch had a mind like no other.

Under the barrage of so many beams, the Ruins finally collapsed...sealing the Emperor, Charles Zi Britannia forever...

"You...are...avenged...mother..." With the last words, Lelouch's world faded to darkness as his computer systems blinked red with danger.

* * *

**Cliff Hanger! LOL! Well as usual, read and review! Hope you guys like the story so far. And if you guys see any problem in my writing style that gives you any trouble let me know. ;) I'll make sure I won't make the same mistake again.  
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**Next Chapter: **_**Wrath of the Red Lotus **_**(Not the Lich King! Lol. He's about to be toast in the latest patch. And right now in this situation, I'd fear the Red Lotus more than the facing the entire Burning Legion with modern weapons and magic! So lock your shields and ready your tanks because Kallen will be HELL INCARNATE!!!)  
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	6. Chapter 6: Wrath of the Red Lotus

**Now the chapter you all have been waiting for is here! It's time for Kallen to kick ass! Read & Review!**

**If you spot any grammer errors let me know because I wrote this pretty fast.  
**

**Meanwhile on the battlefield**

The rebel _Sutherlands_ and _Vincent Ward_s engaged the Guard _Vincents_ in a furious battle both sides frantically loyal to their respective leaders. However the superior technology of the Vincents were beginning to tell as the casualty rate of rebels began to rise.

One emerald _Vincent_ used his needle blazer and blasted a hole in a Sutherland who tried to skewer him with his heavy lance. As the broken _Sutherland_ fell burning down, the Guardsman noticed one _Vincent Ward_ breaking out of the rebel formation and charging towards it, the MVS blades glittering red.

"You think you can defeat a Royal Guard, scum?" He taunted and readied his own double swords, gripped in two hands and swung at the _Vincent Ward_...when it suddenly disappeared into thin air.

"What..." Before he could do anything, his _Vincent_ was ringing with alarm and exploded.

The purple _Lancelot_-mass produced Knightmare continued its advance. Several of the Royal Guards moved into to intercept, double-swords and needle blazers at the ready. The first _Vincent_ slashed his sword and met the _Ward_'s blades in a shower of sparks. Hoping to take the advantage, the second one thrust forward to skewer the distracted _Ward_. The purple Knightmare brought out his left Stun Tonfa and used it to block the blade where they contacted in a display of electric sparks.

Rolo gritted his teeth as he pulled his Knightmare back to dodge a second swing from the first _Vincent_. They truly earned the name of Royal Guards and were a force to be reckoned with if left unchecked.

The other emerald Knightmare lunged forward with its needle blazer, with the intention to blow up his cockpit. The assassin's eyes glowed crimson with an avian sigil glowing in his right eye. A wave of crimson light spread through the radius, rendering everything in the area to motionless. Taking the advantage, Rolo pulled his double swords and swung a wide arc through both of the Guard _Vincents_' torso, slicing both in half.

To everyone else, the _Vincent Ward_ had disappeared from the _Vincents_' grasp and appeared through their explosions.

On his IFF screens, he saw rows of red dots matching that of the Black Knights entering the zone. He flicked open to the Royal Guards' frequency.

"_Britannian commander! This is General Todoh of the Order of the Black Knights. We have come to help you deal with the rebels forces threatening the Emperor. Let us assist you."_

"Damn, they're fast. Brother! The Black knights have arrived." There was no response. "Brother?" He opened his facespheres and scanned the area. He saw two familiar crimson and black-gold figures fighting alongside each other against a black Knightmare with a golden cross behind it, recognising it as the _Galahad_, the Knight of One's personally Knightmare.

The young boy suddenly became distressed. He wanted to go in and help but he knew that he needed to handle the Black Knights who without a doubt wanted to kill his brother perhaps even more than their Britannian enemies.

He turned to the surviving forces left. The Royal Guards had left a huge dent in their small army. There were still about a dozen or so _Sutherlands_ and _Ward_s plus one _Caerleon_ left. Although the _Great Britannia_ had sunk thanks to the Guren, the surviving Imperial Guards which was the main unit the Royal Guards were a part of were still a force to be reckoned with. Together with the Black Knights, they increased the odds their Geassed army was facing from 8 to 1 into 20 to 1.

It was a suicidal battle. Not even his Geass could turn the tide. Even now, the steel grey figures of Black knight _Akatsukis_ entered the fray cutting their way through their _Sutherlands_. The Wards fared little better but were more or less being blown to pieces. Soon more Knightmares joined them. These were _Vincents_ and their mass-produced counter-parts bearing the cyan green colour of the Schneizel's Royal Guard. Behind them was the orange figure of the _Avalon_. That the _Ikaruga_ was with them showed that Kozuki had damaged it well.

Still they needed to be halted or otherwise his brother's plans would be ruined. Rolo did not take Lelouch's disowning of him, well...no it fact it hurt him more than anything else he had suffered. All his life he had been used as a tool, both under the Geass Directorate and the Britannian Special Intelligence Service. But everything changed during the time he spent with Lelouch where he posed as his brother. He cared for him, they had played piano together, he had read him stories before bed, called him urgently and scolded him when he was missing, taught him how to cook different exotic dishes...for the first time in his life he was treated like a fellow **human**. Even though Lelouch ultimately had used him as a tool as well, those times he had spent with him...Rolo knew that they were completely genuine.

And it was something Rolo Lamprouge was willing to die for. He would give his own life to save his _brother_.

He activated his Geass and leapt into the fray.

A trio of Akatsukis with drawn swords charged forward, swinging their weapons. One of them swung and tore an arm of one of the Geassed Ward's. The second one tore off the other arm with the third finally finishing it off by slicing it in half.

They turned around again, firing their machine guns at some lance wielding _Sutherlands_ tearing them into pieces. Rolo charged into them, his double-sword and Stun Tonfas at the ready. The _Akatsukis_ at once turned to the _Vincent_ _Ward_ flying towards them and readied their guns, only for it to disappear into thin air. Before they knew it, Rolo was amongst them slashing his way through the trio and letting the debris explode in the air.

Rolo felt no sympathy towards them. These men had betrayed his brother and he will make them pay for it with their lives.

He slammed one of his tonfas into a stray Akatsuki's cockpit, smashing the system's cockpit system. The assassin then brought his sword around and brought it down, slashing the _Akatsuki_ nearly in half. Another _Akatsuki_ suddenly charged forward and swung its chain-katana which Rolo nearly blocked with the rear end of his blade then slashed forward with the other end, knocking the _Akatsuki_'s sword away. The Black Knight knightmare however refuse to give up and fired his slash harkens but Rolo had already moved behind the _Akatsuki_ and stabbed into the cockpit, drawing blood as he pulled out the blade.

Then a dark-blue figure lunged forward slashing which Rolo dodged then fired a Radiant missile. The assassin managed to avoid that as well and found himself facing one of the _Akatsuki_ Commander Models whose performance matched that of a _Vincent_'s. Rolo suddenly wished that he had his old one now but there's no time to think of it and he lung forward crossing blades with the cobalt Knightmare. The Commander Model slashed again and again while deflecting his sword blows and Rolo saw that he was facing a skilled pilot. He didn't remember who it was but he wouldn't be defeated by this fool. Rolo activated his Geass, freezing the Black Knight then fired his slash harkens into its chest, destroying the Model like any other Knightmare.

Then Rolo saw an ebony figure amongst his enemies cutting down some of the last Knightmares he had left and saw it was General Todoh's personal Knightmare, the _Zangetsu_. A group of _Sutherlands_ tried to surround it and skewer it with their lances but that only made things worse as the black Knightmare just turned spinning with his sword, not only deflecting the lances but slashing their wielders as well.

Then he saw the _Avalon_ moving in, firing it main turrets at the last _Caerleon _then rammed its way towards the _Avalon_. But the combine firepower of the _Avalon_ and its escort Knightmares was enough to destroy it mid-flight.

His alarm systems suddenly ring as something exploded mid-air near him. He turned around to see a group of _Akatsukis_ with heavy weapons, mainly cannons and some missile launchers firing at him. He avoided them with practice ease and made his way towards them only for them to retreat away from him fighting as they go.

Instead from a different angle, volleys of sabot rounds suddenly rained down upon him which Rolo barely dodged. But as he made his way towards them, they also retreated.

Rolo realised that the Black Knights had been warned about his powers either by Schneizel or by someone else. Regardless they started engaging him only by range fire and Rolo's Geass could not stop projectiles and they were too far for him to use his Geass effectively.

He tried to avoid the constant barrage of enemy fire but he was one Knightmare against an army of hundreds. Rolo tried to avoid being surrounded but they were quick and soon he was trapped between teams of _Ataksukis_ with cannon and missiles that were supported by their Commander Models and the _Zangetsu_ and the Royal Guards who had also switched to their range weaponry.

Finally, an explosion contacted his arm and despite his best efforts to move on, it had slowed him down and more and more cannons and missiles contacted him. As his Knightmare started blowing up, Rolo's last thoughts were that at least he had died in service of his brother...

%%%

The _Guren_ Eight Elements stopped mid-air as it spotted the chest-plate of the _Shinkirō_ being tossed away by the _Mordred_. The broken Knightmare landed on the Ruins with a crash.

Kallen did not remember what exactly gone through her at that moment. All she knew was that she needed to protect Lelouch.

"No! Lelouch!" She screamed as the _Mordred_ prepared its Stark Hadron Cannon at the black-gold Knightmare which managed to destroy the Ruins with a blast of its Zero beam. The beam was started to charge He can't die now. After so much struggle and sacrifices, it could not end like this. All those pain for nothing? All those hurt, guilt and anger completely wasted?

"_NO! Brother!" A younger Kallen Kouzki screamed as she was dragged away by the other resistance members. Their hideout had been discovered by Britannian shock troops and the soldiers have stormed in, guns blazing with Knightmare support. Many were cut down by the gun volleys while they were resting and the survivors had retreated to their escape route with Naoto held off the soldiers alone._

"_Don't worry, sister. I'll always be with you in your heart! Live on, Kallen!" With that he leapt out, firing and Kallen could do nothing but stare as he fend off wave after wave of Britannian soldiers until he was finally cut down._

"_NAOTO!"_

"Your leader is finished!" Bismarck proclaimed and raised his sword high. "And you will join him!" His Geass predicting the greatsword slicing through the red Knightmare, as he said his words.

But as the Knight of One brought down _Excalibur_, the _Guren_ disappeared from his sight.

"What?"

Kallen's eyes narrowed in grim determination. No. It will not happen again! Not this time! She was hapless back then but not anymore. She lost a love one once but not this time. Lelouch had no one left he was alone. No. That's wrong. He will not be alone. She would be there for him. Kallen Kozuki would save Lelouch or join him in death.

"Lelouch...You...Will...Not...DIE!" The _Guren_ reappeared out of nowhere and the violet light swept pass the _Galahad_ in the brink of the eye. It continued its way to the violet-white Knightmare hovering near the ruins.

"What? Where did she go?" Bismarck muttered.

A lone green _Vincent_ bared its way between the _Mordred_ and _Guren_. The Knightmare exploded as the _Guren_ literally flew through it, its energy wings acting like a flying chain saw.

Anya took a picture of the broken down ebony Knightmare on the ground and pressed the trigger.

The cannons glowed and lanced a torrent of black-red energy towards its target, which was completely defenceless...such an attack would have been an overkill...when the beam suddenly stuck before a crimson light of wall.

"Interruption?"

As the beam slowly dispersed, a glowing crimson figure appeared before it, with glittering violet wings.

"You...will NOT harm Lelouch!"

The _Guren_'s energy wings opened up, sending rings of energy out as its performance rose up to 80% akin to a roar by an enraged beast. It raised its surger arm forward and sent out a massive burst of radiant energy. The _Mordred_ activated its blaze luminous shield and the surger beam struck it in a display of lights. But then the shield suddenly glowed brighter as the Radiant energy ate up the emerald light.

"I lost?" Then the beam continued until it finally broke through the shield and struck the Mordred's head in a great explosion, sending it down sinking into the ocean.

Then suddenly on her radar, red dots representing the Black knights started swarming the map.

"There it is! Destroy the _Shinkirō_!" Kallen heard Todoh's voice shouted.

"Hai!" The Black Knights responded and started converging over the broken Knightmare. Kallen then fired a steam of Radiant burst at the first wave of Ataksukis who were drained of their power.

"Kozuki!" Todoh's intimidating voice boomed. "There's no need to fight for that beast! Stand aside. We don't want to fire on you."

"Kallen!" Ohgi's voice also came from the _Avalon_. "We'll be getting back Japan! It's over! The Britannians have agreed to give up their claim. There's no need to fight anymore...you can be Kallen Kozuki officially..."

"Don't call me by that name!" Kallen snapped back, surprising everyone. "My name is Kallen Stadtfeld! Stadtfeld! I am a Britannian knight and I serve Prince Lelouch Vi Britannia!"

Ohgi's face had turned from shock to revulsion. "He used his Geass on her!"

"Oh, no." Kallen corrected, in a calm and dangerous tone. "I'm fighting because I CHOOSE to! And now, STAY AWAY FROM HIM or I'll give no mercy." In response, the _Guren_'s surger arm turned and glowed crimson.

Ohgi opened his mouth to say something but one of the Black Knight pilots suddenly fired his cannon. "Traitor!"

"No wait!" The Black Knight Vice-Commander shouted but it was too late as the Guren blocked the attack, the other units whom were told that it was hijacked by a Britannian agent descended on the ruby Knightmare.

They threw in everything they had, machine gun, cannon, missiles, radiant missiles everything at her the impact of the attacks formed a great smoke screen around her.

"NO!" Ohgi shouted.

But then suddenly the entire front line of _Ataksukis_ exploded as a violet light swept passed them. The _Guren_ had charged in, slashing and blasting its way through the Black Knight ranks, destroying every Knightmare in her way.

Kallen felt no sympathy in her anymore. They were the enemy now and they threatened the life of the man who lost everything he had for their sake and now they were going to kill him. Kallen would not put up with that anymore!

Some _Ataksukis_ managed to fly away and started firing their machine guns at her and Kallen fired out her surger arm and used it to automatically take down the scattered Knightmares and by the time it returned to its place, half of the Ataksukis were destroyed.

A group of _Ataksukis_ foolishly charged at her with drawn swords and Kallen smirked. They must be the new French pilots from the EU. And Kallen rammed through them. She blew up the ones in the centre and used her energy wings to slash those on her flanks. One escaped and she quickly turned about and grabbed the _Ataksuki_ blowing it up.

Another group of _Ataksukis_ flew passed her. She recognised their symbol to be that of the 5th Squadron which she fought alongside in Tokoyo Settlement. Kallen hesitated to kill her countrymen but as soon as she saw that they were heading towards the _Shinkirō_, her anger boiled over and she fired out a burst of radiant energy blowing them apart as she would of any other Knightmares.

"Kozuki!" Todoh charged in, bring his sword down on her which Kallen blocked with her knife. "You're duty is to Japan! Do not allow your personal feelings overcome your duty! If you do, you'll become another Suzaku!"

The Japanese General brought down a combination of slashes and thrusts which Kallen defected with her energy wings and knife.

"You're the ones who are allowing your personal feelings overcoming you!" Kallen snapped back, throwing off his new attack and kept lunging forward with her surger arm. "He's the one who had granted us a fighting chance in the first place. The Black Knights would have never existed without him!"

"He used us like tools." Ohgi responded from the _Avalon_, trying to use the chance to convince her. "He never cared about Japan! He just wanted power! Look how many of innocents died because of him! He's a black hearted beast!"

"He's right. You're nothing but a slave to him!" Todoh roared back, bring one powerful blow down on her.

"He lied! He never did that. It was an accident! Do you think he would so willing use it on the only half-sister who actually loved him!"

"She was in his way!" Todoh replied. "She was baring his ambition for war. We would have gotten our freedom that way but he used it to create the Black Rebellion then abandoned us! You're in love with a demon! He's just using you!"

Kallen's anger finally exploded. "HE'S NOT A DEMON!" She finally caught the Zangetsu's sword arm and sent a burst of radiant energy through it blowing it up. The _Zangetsu_ turned around and sent a kick which Kallen severed with her energy wings. Then with a great cry, Kallen brought her knife and beheaded the ebony Knightmare before landing a great kick at its chest.

While Kallen was fighting the Black Knights, she saw the _Galahad_ and the surviving Royal Guards descending towards the battlefield. The half-Japanese knight flew her way through them firing out her surger arm.

The _Galahad_ turned and moved out of the way while the rest of the _Vincents_ were caught in the fire and exploded.

Bismarck fired his finger slash harkens at the _Guren_ and used his Geass but the _Guren_'s flight system was far too fast for even his Geass.

"What? My Geass never failed me before!" Bismarck exclaimed. "How is this _even_ possible?" He tried to target it but then before he knew it, the _Guren_ was before him and He swung the _Excalibur_ around only for her to used her MVS forked knife to catch it between his blades. With the sword caught, the _Galahad_ threw a heavy fist only for _Guren_ to grab it lightning fast and unleashed her rage on him.

Bismarck could hardly believe he was just defeated but that he was defeated the same way Lady Marianne did in the past.

As the _Galahad_ exploded, Kallen threw away what was left of the Knightmare and scanned her area for the enemy forces left.

* * *

The surviving Britannian and Black Knight forces stared at the crimson figure who took down not two different armies but their entire combine force.

Schneizel suddenly smiled. "Love makes people do strange things..."

"Your highness?" Kannon asked.

"Nothing, Kannon. We'll retreat."

"But your highness, it's only one unit..." One of his Guard officers protested.

"One unit that took down the Knight of One, the Black Knight General and our entire combine forces including the Royal Guards." Cornelia snapped at the officer. Privately, the princess wondered what her bastard of a brother was to this girl that drove her into betraying her former comrades and to complete such a feat.

**Ok, it was much shorter than I was planning but then again it would have taken much longer to do it which is just going to frustrate you guys more. To be honest, I never thought so many people would take a liking to this fanfic so thanks guys!**

**The next chapter would have less action but alot of Kalulu. ;) **


	7. Chapter 7: Calm after the Storm

**The impact of last chapter was too strong for me not to continue and I managed to finish this in a short while. With this, I've decided to extend this story longer. Since I did this fast, please let me know of any error. If you're a Kalulu fan, well, you'll love this!**

**Read & Review.**

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"FALL BACK!" The Atakasuki pilots shouted as volleys of energy disks flew about cutting through their ranks, beheading some and severing limbs of others.

A group of Royal Guards exploded instantly as a wave of radiant energy washed over them. Those who had fled earlier managed to escape the monstrous red beast but the rest who had gambled to get the honour of killing the famed Zero were doomed since they had entered the battle-scene.

A squadron of Schneizel's Vincents tried to hold their enemy at bay using different forms of attacking manoeuvres but not even their famed battle-tactics could match the wrath of the raging lioness. Kallen, with her enemies finally retreating, pushed to the offensive. The _Avalon_ and its escorts had already disappeared from range but those who were too slow became victims to her anger.

She worked her way through systematically, firing her surger arm to skewer Knightmare after Knightmare the closest to her before finally unleashing her radiant beam at those in range. When her arm returned, the skies were literally set aflame littering the oceans with pieces of metal and broken machines.

It was only after making sure that the sky was completely empty, Kallen finally landed the Guren and dashed her away to the broken Shinkirō. The half-Japanese knight had literally jumped out of her Knightmare and started shouting.

"Lelouch! Lelouch! Please be alive!" She searched through the broken and burning pieces of the black Knightmare. The stench of burning metal and rubber was terrible but she ignored it and kicked away pieces, pulling and pushing anything in her way.

"LELOUCH!" She screamed again and again. Tears started forming as images of him dead appeared in her mind.

"No please...be alive..." She moved pieces of debris here and there.

"Please Lelouch..." She begged. "I can't live without..." Then she found the cockpit still intact lying in the forest.

"Lelouch..." Kallen muttered again and rushed forward to it. The former Black Knight went to the cockpit and with practice ease; she released the hatch and opened the Shinkirō's back open. A bloodied but still breathing Lelouch greeted her and with a squeal of joy she pulled her arms around him, brushing her cheek against his face.

"Oh Lelouch." Tears poured down her eyes uncontrollably as she squeezed the wounded figure. Lelouch let out a groan when the contacted then relaxed. Despite the sweat and blood both were covered in and the horrible odour of the burning Knightmare, Kallen was contented just being by him.

After holding him for a time that was only interrupted by the sparking flame, Kallen reluctantly let him go and started working on tearing his shirt open where the bandages that had been sealing the wounds were now vivid red. Realising that he might suffer from blood lost, Kallen reached for the emergency First Aid kit that was near the pilot's seat for which she gave silent thanks to the late Sayoko who had likely perished in the FLEIA blast for being so efficient.

The former Black Knight pulled the chair down so that it would act like a bed, allowing Lelouch to lie down in a more comfortable position. Satisfied with his state, Kallen peeled off the blood soaked bandages and ripped out a piece of clean bandage from the Aid Kit, taking of her gloves she went then wet it with some water from Lelouch's canteen which she also found in the cockpit and she started to clean his bloodied chest.

A blush formed her cheeks as her hand contacted with his flesh. Despite what she could say about Lelouch's physical state was he certainly had a nice body. Shaking her head away from such thoughts, Kallen focused on getting rid of all the blood on his chest. She squeezed the wet-blood soaked cloth, getting rid of the blood, gore and water on the sand and then repeated the process until the bullet wounds were clear on his body.

The injury on his shoulder turned out to be only a scratch, although no less painful blow, likely just gazed from one of the bullets. There were however two more bullets, one near in the lung and the other near his ribs. Thank the heavens that none of the organs were damaged.

Taking it as what she assumed as a sign from the heavens, Kallen feeling more at ease began to massage Lelouch to control his blood pressure. As his breathing became much more stabilized, Kallen added in some new bandages over his cuts and wounds. She would take him to a hospital soon but until then this would do.

Then Kallen took a new moist cloth and cleaned Lelouch's face, noticing how delicate and pale he was. It was a face carved by angels, she thought as she touched his cheeks. She wiped out any sweat or blood and used his Zero cloak as a blanket over him and let him rest. She stood there watching the figure, smiling at how peaceful he looked. Without thinking she ran a hand through his hair and pressed a kiss on his forehead before leaving the cockpit to search for some food and a shelter to stay in.

The good thing now was that the cockpit now served as some sort of shelter compared to the last time she was on the island with Suzaku. Kallen wondered it would have been if she and Princess Euphemia had traded places on their meetings. An image of Lelouch dressed as Zero approaching her while taking a bath appeared, seeing her nude body...

"What the hell..." Kallen shook her head in embarrassment. How on earth could she think of such things? She kicked a piece of metal into the ocean to release her discomfort. But as the metal sank, Kallen received another memory.

"The stream!" She remembered the stream where Suzaku had caught a number of fish for them. That would do. Kallen quickly ran to her Guren in search of any equipment that could help her.

However, little did the Red Lotus knew that in the distant battlefield, the battle where many remains of the unfortunate soldiers and knights fell victim to the onslaught of the raging lioness littered, a hooded figure appeared from the wreckage.

The figure moved along the pieces and stared at the caved in ruins.

"A damn shame." He muttered. "Are you reading this?"

"_Yes, __Cardinal. The teams are moving in place. Things may still work."_

"Good. Make sure they do." The figure warned and walked on. A groan was heard and the figure quickly turned to face it. A young man in the hold and white uniform of the Emperor's personal knights lay on the ground in a small pool of blood. The cloaked figure moved on and walked down and approached the figure. It was the Knight of Seven himself, otherwise known as the White Knight of Britannia.

The young brown haired knight stood lying, his head bleeding. The figure knelt before him. Suzaku managed to open his eyes and stare at the hooded figure.

"Don't worry, Knight of Seven. Your Emperor's safe. You fought well." The figure smiled and let down his hood.

The white knight stared at him in shock. "Lelouch?"

The figure smiled at him before slamming a booted foot on the Japanese knight's face, returning Suzaku's world back to the darkness...

**Meanwhile on the damaged **_**Ikaruga**_

Todoh gritted his teeth as pain coursed through his left arm. The general made his way to the conference room through the guarding Black knight marines, declining their help.

Even as he reached the door, Japanese swordmaster heard the shouting voices behind. As he entered the room, he saw Chiba who went to his side at once.

"Todoh...are you alright?" The last surviving Holy Sword member asked.

"I'm fine. What is the situation?" He asked.

Ohgi turned to face him. "We have lost more than half of our fighting Knightmare strength from the attack. The Britannians are in a far worse condition, losing their best Knightmares and pilots to..." The Vice-Commander trailed off unable to speak.

"She betrayed us!" One of the former resistance members shouted. "She betrayed us to that guy!"

"Hold on!" Ohgi protested. "Come on, Kallen would never willingly betray us! Remember, she had a chance to live as a rich prosperous Britannian life but she chose her Japanese side. She couldn't have betrayed us like that." He gritted his teeth and eyes flared with intense hatred.

"He did it! He used his Geass on her..." The Vice-commander all but spat the words out.

"She called herself a Britannian." Tamaki reminded. "She said she was a knight of Britannia. It has to be it! Zero...you sick bastard! I thought you were my best buddy..." He said it, with tears in his eyes.

Chiba nodded. "He's just a cold hearted monster worse than anything Britannia ever did!"

At this moment, a humorous laughter echoed the room causing everyone to turn and glare at the undesired and inappropriate sound.

"You all are just being dramatic." Rakshata Chawla said, taking a puff on her pipe. "I think the girl's just in love..."

The Black Knights turned, startled. The Indian lady shrugged at their confusion.

"It's quite obvious."

"That's just stupid." Tamaki snorted. "How could she..." He trailed off realising their relationship.

"No." Todoh said, speaking for the first time. "Kozuki is not under Geass. She did it on her own free will."

"Then it's worse!" Ohgi shouted in rage that even Todoh blinked at the venom of his words. "He's using her love for his own gains! He's worse than even the devil himself!"

But Todoh shook his head. "I don't think so." He looked at his wounded hand. "Lelouch...Zero...was willing to give up his own life for Kozuki. That is why he lied to her. We would have killed her if she had stood in the way...he may not be the monster as Schneizel claimed to be." The Japanese General eyed the other Black knights.

"Perhaps he had lied to us as well. Kozuki would not love him blindly. She is both young and wise."

"How could you have known that?" Chiba countered.

"I saw the passion and love in her." Todoh countered and the Holy Sword blushed at the mention of the 'L' word. "She...did it in the same desire when she fought the Britannians on your side. Love is power. It is something that drives one to achieve inhuman results beyond what we could imagine..." He sighed.

"Regardless, our main goal is Japan. We would need to continue negotiations with Britannia and maybe there will be peace. I hope we do not need to fight Lelouch and Kozuki...for now onwards, because if his feelings for her are true...then Kallen Kozuki has become the most dangerous warrior on this planet..."

**Two days later on ****Kamejima Island**

Kallen took a deep breath as she collapsed on the rock. Who knew that the fish were so hard to catch? She wondered how Suzaku had been able to do it so easily. He managed to catch a dozen or so in about half an hour while she could barely catch three in the same amount of time.

As she paused to rest her aching body, a cool yet comfortable wind blew towards her bellowing her red hair. She had taken off her pilot suit, wearing only her bra and shorts to enter the water.

It was been a while since Kallen felt such a breeze. How long has she been spending in the Britannian prison? She could barely remember and she didn't really care. Most of the time, the former Black Knight had been doing much thinking, especially on what Lelouch was planning and on their previous relationship.

Kallen remembered their first meeting where he had appeared to her as the mysterious voice that saved their lives against all odds. She was distrustful at first. Who wouldn't be? Then he had used his Geass on her to find out about her who made her suspicious that Lelouch was Zero.

Kallen dipped one of her bare feet down into the water. Lelouch had recently told her that he used his Geass on her to ask her a question. She drew a circle in the water. It had been a relief on her part as Kallen had long struggled to understand her growing feelings for the man whether it was a result of his Geass. Now that it wasn't, meant that her feelings were completely genuine.

The former Black knight smiled. She had never thought to be in a position where she'll end up like in a position like those fairytale princesses falling in love with their knights in shining armour. But she was in one now. Kallen chuckled. Although the role seemed to be reversed with Lelouch being a prince while she was the knight.

Then her practiced hearing caught movement behind her and she quickly turned her pistol already in her hand, her red dot sight pointing in the illuminating the darkness. The laser found itself on a small hare which quickly ran away.

Kallen stared at the darkness for a moment before getting up. She had a better idea than catching fish.

* * *

Slowly, the world came back to Lelouch. The former prince found himself staring at the star littered skies. It was beautiful. Just like those times he had watched with his sisters and mother...

"Mother!" He croaked, remembering the battle. Schneizel had cornered him...Kallen and Rolo saved him...they fought against the Imperial Guard and the Emperor's Royal Guards and he trapped the Emperor...then everything went black. He should be dead. Lelouch flexed a little and felt his chest ache.

He heard some footsteps which broke into a run. In the next moment, his vision was filled with a familiar sapphire eyed red-haired female.

"You're finally awake." Kallen smiled down at him. Lelouch grunted and Kallen helped him sit up. He had been lying on a make-shift bed made of several layers blankets with a thicker layer acting as a pillow.

Lelouch coughed violently and gratefully took the steel cup of water Kallen handed. He finished the entire cup down with a single gulp and still felt like he hadn't drunk a single drop that day.

Kallen waited for him patiently, watching him closely.

"What...what happened?" He finally asked.

The red haired girl smiled at him. "We did it. The ruins are trapped. There's no way in or out. The Emperor's just been buried alive."

"What about Schneizel?" He handed the cup to Kallen.

"They've retreated." She said, taking the cup and setting it aside. "You don't need to worry. There's no one around except for us."

Lelouch nodded as he scanned the area. It was like a little campsite. They were at the edge of a cave with the Guren sitting down nearby, providing a small little shelter. A small tree near it acted as a hanger for some wet clothes. On its opposite was a metal crate that likely contained some rations and other camping gears. On their left was a small steam. In the centre was a small camp fire.

"It took some time to do it but I had the Guren." Kallen admitted then turned sombre. "Are you alright?"

Lelouch shrugged. "I guessed I'm still alive..." His disappointment was clear in his tone and Kallen frowned. Seeing her upset, Lelouch turned to face her and apologised.

"I'm sorry. Thank you, Kallen." He pulled all of his sincerity in it and that made her a little brighter. Then suddenly his stomach growled in hunger. Kallen broke into laughter as his cheeks flare bright red in embarrassment.

Laughing, Kallen handed him some cooked meat on a stick. He didn't recognise the meat but he nevertheless gratefully took it and bit deep, unable to hold back his hunger. It was charred on the outside and raw in the inside and not even the finest chefs in the Imperial Palace or even himself could have done better. It was the best thing tasted.

"Don't gobble it down too fast." Kallen warned but pleased that he was enjoying her cooking. "You haven't eaten in two days."

"I've been out that long?" He swallowed the meat.

Kallen nodded. "After the battle, I came back to search for you and I scouted the place for a camp and I found this cave. Then I used the Guren to carry some supplies I found from what was left of the battle."

Lelouch turned around and saw their little camp was walled by broken pieces of Royal Guard Vincents with a rifle and some ammunition resting near it.

"It's like a mini-fortress." He commented, taking another deep bite. "You chose well."

Kallen blushed at the compliment. "Hehe, thanks."

Lelouch smiled, chewing and swallowing the meat. Then he was suddenly remembered. "Where's...where's Rolo?"

Kallen shook her head sadly.

Lelouch turned sombre. "I see." He didn't expect to feel any pity for his fake brother who had murdered Shirley but now that he knew he was dead, Lelouch felt a rush of pain in his heart. He told himself the sting in his eye was due his long sleep.

"I'm sorry." Kallen said, sensing his pain. "I don't know but although that guy killed Shirley, now that he had died fighting on our side. I kinda feel sorry for him. He was just a kid anyway. This world is just way too cruel."

Lelouch could only nod in agreement. It was only when he seek death everyone close around him were dying like flies. He grimaced at the painful reminder of Nunnally's death. The former prince did not know what to do at this point.

His mother was avenged. Charles was now going to spend the reminder of his life in that tomb and leaving Schneizel in charge of the Britannia as the prime minister. With the Black Knights trading their betrayal for Japan's freedom meant that the Knights had no use of Zero anymore. C.C. had now lost her memories and with all the pain and nightmares forgotten, she had no need for him. Suzaku would likely become the new Knight of One likely succeeding his dream. With Nunnally, Shirley and his Euphiemia dead, everyone he love and care for were gone or disappeared.

"Lelouch?" He reluctantly raised his head and met Kallen's gaze. She was staring at him, her deep blue eyes filled with concern. They fitted perfectly with her face, a perfectly made face mixed with the best features both Britannian and Japanese could offer, framed by the fiery hair that only perfected the picture. Lelouch was surprised that he had never noticed her like this before. She was...beautiful.

And she had given up her dream and entire life for him...

It struck him like a knife through his heart. Pain and guilt washed over him as his past thoughts and words about Kallen pour through his mind.

"_You were my most useful piece...like a well played knight..."_ He had called her that? He had manipulated her and used her for his own goals? And now he had ruined the life she had always wanted of a free country to live with her mother by following him...to make things worse he had made her kill her own comrades and friends and forsake her life as a fugitive? Tears filled his eyes, uncontrollably.

"Oh...Kallen..." Lelouch sobbed, finally losing control of himself. "I'm...so sorry. I'm soo sorry."

Kallen looked surprised. But seeing the great pain gathering in Lelouch, she, without thinking she closed the little distance between them in a comforting hug.

"It's alright, Lelouch..." She rubbed his back and let a hand run through his black hair.

Lelouch held her like a drowning man gripping for lifeline, resting his head on her strong shoulders.

"I'm sorry...I... hurt...you..."

"No, you never did." She tightened the hug, stroking his hair comfortingly.

"I turned you into a fugitive..." He sobbed hard.

"It's alright. I chose this path..."

"...I made you...an enemy out of your friends..."

"You're the one I care about." Kallen squeezed tighter, her own tears flowing down.

"Now...you just save a demon from what he deserves..."

Finally Kallen couldn't stand it and pull his face to meet her gaze.

"Lelouch...you're not a demon...and I don't care...I want to be with you...as long as I'm with you...I'll face the entire world with a pocketknife if I have to...so please..." She wiped a tear away with a slender finger.

"Kallen...you don't understand!" He shouted, breaking her embrace. **"_By this you may not get a chance to be with your mother!"_**

"I know..." Kallen replied calmly.

"**What...?"**

"I know..." She said again, her tone becoming sombre and sad and Lelouch immediately regretted his words and started to speak again but Kallen quickly hushed him.

"I know. But I guess I am my mother's daughter..."

Kallen smiled at Lelouch's confusion. "My mother once said that we are what we choose to be and humans would do whatever it takes and whatever harm to be with those we love...She stood by me as a maid no matter how terrible I treated her, no matter how that bitch of my stepmother abused her...she took the pain just to be by my side..." Tears strode from her eyes as her own memories came back but she straightened and turned back to Lelouch.

"And I will do the same... You are what my brother what fought and died for. I know the pain...of losing Nunnally... When my brother was gone, I heard the sound of the heavy doors closing behind my back. I cannot allow it. I will fight to the bitter end. I decided that I will not go back." She paused to wipe a tear.

"Then, someday, I will die like my brother. Until the very end, I will not abide by authority. That bit of willpower I was carrying with me, it slipped away from me, and I can feel it faintly. At that time, I envisioned you like the star at the break of dawn, inviting me. If I would think that this is for you, my body would feel light.

Whatever struggles there are, the pain would go away. I would be the first to come rushing to your battlefield, raging like a lioness, crushing your enemies. I would stand being muddied in order to create a path for you. Looking back, it's mysterious. Even though I should have loathed and rebelled against Britannia's tyranny, without knowing it, I personally held devotion only for you.

I know now that I mean to you much more than a subordinate, much more than a comrade, much more than a friend. Lelouch, if you die, I'm going to follow you to hell and back out literally if I have to be with you...I love you, Lelouch. Seeing it now, I've always have..."

Lelouch stared it her, unable to believe what he was hearing. He had never heard...no never imagined anyone could be so devoted...so...loyal...especially to one such as him...he didn't know what to do...what she had said made his Zero inspirational speech, the Emperor's battle speech, Bismarck's, Napoleon's, Caesar's, Alexander's all seem nothing...

Lelouch did not know what part of what she said had made him move closer but did not care as his face ached forward on its own accord to Kallen's. She responded passionately and they kissed.

Her lips were warm and soft but not gentle. Desire course through him and their lips parted, allowing his tongue to meet hers. She gripped him as two wrestle for dominance. Lelouch finally allowed her as she stole a breath from him as she explored what was inside.

But in the mist of their kiss, a familiar memory of another filled his mind and a tear silently dropped. It was the most bitter-sweet moment he had ever had...

* * *

**So how was it? I hope it wasn't too early but I guess this would be the best time for Kallen to admit her feelings but that doesn't mean Lelouch is ready yet. Haha don't worry, I got alot more stuff for this.**

**So Read and Review! And Thanks for reading! You guys are the best! **


	8. Chapter 8: Decisions

**Sorry for taking so long. Its not my best as my heart wasn't really into healing stage. Hope you like it.**

When she had woken up, Kallen had found Lelouch sitting over a fire trying to cook something. He was looking much better now.

Wearing the yellow tank top which she slept with, Kallen walked over to him.

"Morning," He greeted with a smile.

"Shouldn't you be resting?" Kallen asked with a frown.

The prince shrugged and continued cooking. He took a handful of herbs and added into the dish. Kallen suddenly felt awkward. Now that she did know he cared for her, she knew that she had to open him up. Lelouch obviously still felt guilty about dragging her into to all of this.

At another time, she might have confronted him openly but after all that has happened Kallen knew that both needed some quietness.

"How was your sleep? You did sleep didn't you?" She asked trying to make a conversation, watching his hands moving expertly as he added this and that stirring the pot.

Lelouch smiled as he took out a bowl and added some of the stew into it.

"Slept like the dead." He said as he handed the bowl to her.

Kallen looked at him sharply. Lelouch met her gaze and lowered his eye.

"Sorry," He quickly apologised. "Bad joke. Slept like a new born baby."

The red haired girl still watched him suspiciously while sipping the stew. Her eyes widened tasting it.

"Oh my god. It's...it's delicious!" She suddenly exclaimed as she sipped more.

Lelouch chuckled as he passed her some biscuits.

"It's not much. I just used the rations you got with some herbs from nearby."

Kallen had recovered some rations from the dead Britannian soldiers from an abandoned camp near the Ruins.

The young woman shook her head. "It tastes like it's made in a five star hotel."

"Well, after eating your roasted rabbit, I thought I might show you how it is really done." Lelouch said, small smile.

She smirked at the statement. "I didn't say it was _that_ good. But I am curious, where did you learn that?"

Lelouch stirred the brownish liquid with his spoon. "It started since during the Pacific War. It was Nunnally's birthday. I promised one time when she was crying that I'd make the cake personally for her. We had been finding food and clothing from dead bodies for so long I just wanted to do something for her."

He smiled. "Since then when we were hiding at an alley I had been sneaking into the bakery studying how the baker did it."

"You always did have a shrewd mind." Kallen muttered absently. Lelouch smiled at acknowledging the compliment.

_This is the caring brother which Nunnally talked about. Not the symbol of freedom Zero or the arrogant school boy Lelouch Lamperouge._ Kallen thought. _I was right about you..._

"After that, I asked the baker if I could try it myself for my sister. He was a good man. He actually offered to give one for free but I said I wanted to do it myself." Lelouch laughed. "It was a disaster."

"But she said it was the best she tasted, didn't she?" Kallen added.

"How did you know?" Lelouch asked, surprise by her answer.

"I did the same when my brother did something like that for me. It's enough to know that you were willing to go through that trouble. You two would have gotten along so well."

"Your brother was the leader of the resistance cell was he not?"

"Yeah, he was. We were a family together before the war. It held great memories. When the war happened, well...it was almost the same story living through the wreckages and eating rotten food. My brother was tired of the injustice. Since he was the heir to father's legacy, he had a chance to become a noble but he forsaken his Britannian name and embraced Naoto."

Lelouch listened intently. He had never heard Kallen explaining about herself before.

"When the number system took place, my brother started the resistance. He was not well received at first. The Japanese back then, I have to admit were just as racist as the Britannians were." Kallen had surprised herself saying that as she hadn't realised it until now. She supposed it was because she had always told herself she was Japanese alone.

"The Japanese are a very proud people." Lelouch stated.

"And arrogant. I guess they think they were the best." The prince was surprised that she didn't say _we_.

"My brother had always defended me from bullies who called us half breed. After that Ohgi and Tamaki joined his resistance cell. Naoto had always had this...aura. When he did something others would follow him. Soon well, we got quite a large number. He wouldn't allow me to join the resistance either. I had constantly tried to work hard in school and martial arts to show him that I was a capable fighter. I tried to prove it by beating up an older girl who called me a whore's daughter."

Kallen smiled at the memory. "It wasn't much of a fight. The only damage she did was to my hair, while I just wacked her to the ground and pushed her face into the mud."

Lelouch chuckled then laughed heartily. "You were always more like a boy than a girl."

Kallen smirked slightly. "My brother used to say that a lot too. I did grow up around boys. I never really mixed around with anyone else until Ashford."

"That explains a lot." Lelouch said although he had his suspicions, this was the first time heard it from Kallen herself.

"Yeah...then well...sometimes I would visit him bringing him food and supplies."

"I imagine he probably tried to stop it." Lelouch said.

"And failed. He finally gave up and allowed me to join. When I decide to do something, nothing's going to stop me." She giggled, surprised at how girly she sounded.

"Indeed. I can imagine that's what he'll tell me if we had met. And I had thought Jeremiah was stubborn."

Kallen scowled. "Shut up." She smacked his arm lightly. "Oh, yeah. How's the wound?"

Lelouch touched his chest and grunted. "Better. It still hurts though."

Kallen shifted to sit closer to him and started to undo his shirt to check the wound. Lelouch's eyes shifted studying her close.

"Quit staring." She muttered heat arose from her chest touching her cheeks as she took the shirt off. With practice ease of a soldier, Kallen quickly inspected the wound. She could feel his eyes on her as she did her work.

She made out a yelp as her face was brought close up to Lelouch's own face. Hazy violet met deep blue. Lelouch had always been drawn by her eyes (amongst others which he rather not or dare think about it here.) He could feel her breathe here slowly as it followed his own, making him stir. Kallen's hand was right on his heart and knew that she could feel every beat.

Lelouch was staring into her eyes and before they both knew it, Kallen leaned in and pressed her lips onto his. The former prince's heart skipped a beat as he opened his mouth to allow his tongue to meet hers.

Desire fluttered through his chest as Kallen pressed herself to him, her arms tightening around him. Lelouch felt his own hands pulling themselves around the small of her back.

"_I love you, Lelou..."_

Lelouch suddenly frowned and Kallen had felt it. Pulling back, Kallen looked at him worried.

"I'm sorry." Lelouch blurted. "Not yet." He got up and started walking, unable to look at her face. To his surprise, she let go him as if understanding his need to be alone and Lelouch was grateful for that.

"Ok..." Kallen replied watching the former prince, understanding his pain.

Lelouch rested himself on a stone near the river.

"I...I must really be dead." The black prince muttered as he recalled what he was doing to Kallen. He was making another mistake. A mistake that caused him the lives of those he loved. He must not let Kallen end up like that.

Realising that he had left her so abruptly, the former Zero decided to return to his rescuer.

Kallen was calmly cleaning things up and Lelouch opened his mouth but did not know what to say.

"Ah, you're back." The red haired pilot said, smiling as she watched him. "I was wondering how long you would go like that." She indicated his topless state with bandages covering him.

Now it was Lelouch's turn to blush and Kallen let out a small laugh and walked over with a wet towel.

"Sit down and I'll clean you up." Her tone was suddenly more motherly. Lelouch suspected that she was trying to hide her heartache.

"I'm sorry, Kallen. I just don't think we're ready."

Kallen continued on smiling at him as she wiped his sweat and blood with the towel, blushing each time their skin contacted.

Lelouch himself was having a hard time not staring at her, dressed in a tight sleeveless sweat-shirt that revealed much of her body figure and toned muscles and shorts that exposed her long smooth legs and delicate feet.

"I'm not sure how to get rid of the bullets though." She frowned as she wiped the bloodied holes on his chest. "Is there anyone we could contact? How about that Orange guy?"

Lelouch grimaced. "He's probably still looking for Nunnally."

"Sorry."

"It's alright, Kallen." Lelouch assured her. "He was part of my mother's royal guard. Jeremiah loved her deeply and felt honour bound to protect us. Heh, if only we had known it earlier. Things would have turned out easier."

Kallen smiled. "I wonder if he's still angry with me for cooking his _Sutherland_ at Narita."

The black prince let out a chuckle. "Unlikely. You did put yourself in all that unnecessary trouble to save me."

"I would have glad to hear that if you were lying." Kallen looked at him seriously. "You still think you should have died."

"Kallen...I..."

But she interrupted him. "Let's not get into another argument now. I want just want to spend this time together _without_ fighting each other." She laid her head on his shoulder.

"It probably won't be long before they come here."

"How do you know that?" Lelouch surprised himself by feeling disappointed by the prospect of rescued from their moment together.

"You really are an idiot." Kallen murmured as she nuzzled against his neck.

* * *

"Sir, we've found someone!" A Britannian private shouted to his Lieutenant.

"It's a boy." His companion replied as the two soldiers pulled out a teenager with short sandy blond hair.

"He's hurt badly. A broken arm." One of the soldiers reported. The Britannian officer took one look at the young man. He was barely a teenager, a little more than a child. The officer had been a little offended when the Princess had asked his squad to take care of both Numbers and Britannians but now that he was actually doing it, he could feel nothing but pity to those he once considered to be untouchables.

Whether this boy might either be Eleven or Britannian, he no longer cared.

"Rolo, eh?" He found a phone on the boy's clothes. The officer nodded. "Take him to the First Aid camp. Lady Nunnally demands all causalities to be treated fairly."

"Yes, sir." The soldiers saluted and walked away.

The officer then turned to help an elderly who was being half-carried by likely his daughter or niece. He took the man in his arms and carried him across to the nearest armoured carrier.

"Take care of this man." He barked at the medic.

"But sir, he's..." The man protested but the Lieutenant snapped at him.

"Do it! It's Her Highness' Orders!"

As the medic hurried to obey, someone collapsed to his arm.

"Thank you, milord. Thank you." The young woman had wrapped her small arms around his armoured chest. Despite himself, the officer allowed one hand to hold her.

"Don't worry. Everything would be alright."

From his visor, the Lieutenant saw some figures making their way towards his unit. Many were civilians, women, children, elderly mainly Elevens.

"Sir?" One of his men asked, weapon ready. There were already too many people in the nearest camps. With this, they'll overflow and there might be chaos. His orders from the Army commands had given straight orders to prevent this. He was not in any way part of the guard protecting the princess. Her royal guard was already spread out through the camps helping but they were being swamped by the sheer numbers of the refugees. She had asked him and his platoon for help. _Asked. _Not ordered. But _asked_. And watching her innocent face, he just could not refuse the request. But that had been done, now was an entirely different thing.

Then he watched the Princess Nunnally who despite being blinded was amongst the refugee doing what she can to ease the pain of the victims. In many ways, she was the one who was in a more disadvantage than the victims themselves.

"Oh, to hell with the orders!" The Lieutenant snapped. "Sergeants! Squad leaders! Gather your equipments. Prepare to form a camp. This is to be another first aid post!"

"But the Colonel..." One protested.

"Screw him. I take full responsibility." He briefly wondered what the world would be like if there would be the Empress Nunnally Vi Britannia at its head.

* * *

"_Kallen, get out of there!" Lelouch cried. They were surrounded. There were demons everywhere. Fiery eyes and bat wings armed with flaming weapons, they came in smashing through Lelouch's defences of knights and bishops. His rooks were long gone. His pawns had either been killed or scattered. Only his queen remained._

"_You will stay away from him!" Kallen shouted defiantly at the swarm of enemies along in her Guren. She was holding out on her own despite the odds. Time and time again, she destroyed waves and waves of attacking creatures. His queen turned and unleashed waves of radiant energy that blasted hundreds of enemy._

_They came in from all directions but she smashed them all. Pawns, knights, bishops, everything. Then suddenly a white queen appeared in front of him, it raised it weapon threateningly towards Lelouch._

_Lelouch tried to defend himself however he knew at once there was nothing he could do but watch. As the white queen thrusts its weapon, the sword instead of striking his flesh it stopped mid-air. As Lelouch managed to gather a breath, his second glance saw the reason why._

"_Kallen!" The red-haired girl smiled weakly at him as blood poured out of her chest._

"_Lelouch...I love you."_

"_NO! KALLEN!"_

"NO!" Lelouch woke up, sweating beads. He looked warily for the young red head.

"Kallen..." He muttered and saw the half-Britannian pilot standing guard not far from him. Kallen was calmly cleaning a Britannian assault rifle although her pistol was right beside her in case she needed to quickly use it.

Lelouch looked around him and saw that she had moved him closer to the cave and the Guren SEITEN rested just near him.

It's been at least two days since their attack on the Emperor and since then Kallen had taken up the role of his guardian while he recover from his wounds. Their relationship had changed drastically since that kiss. While there were still hints of their constant old love-hate relationship, it had become more of teasing and they had become closer with Kallen becoming particularly protective towards the black prince often shouting at him if he had done suddenly that could harm him. Apparently she was not going to take any risk of endangering him.

_She has changed._ He thought. Kallen Kouzki was no longer the same rebellious girl he had used to know back in the days of Ashford, no longer the same soldier who used to follow Zero's orders like a slave, nor the one who had followed him only because of him being the only path to defeat Britannia.

Or perhaps, he had never known the real Kallen. The Kallen, underneath the mask of anger and pain, the same pain he had suffered under Britannia, the Kallen who had been so willing to be his slave...

The Kallen who had just forsaken her entire life to be with him...

A blur of motion caught his attention and saw the red head stirred slightly. At first he was alarmed that Kallen might be hurt but then he smiled as Lelouch saw that she was just sleepy. Seeing that she had barely rested for days, Lelouch walked over to her putting a blanket over her shoulders.

"Kallen," He whispered into her ears. She woke up with a start and turned to him with sleepy eyes.

"You should go and rest." Lelouch told her.

Realising what he had said, Kallen quickly shook her crimson head, trying to clear her mind. "No. I'm fine. I just doze off a little. I'll be alright."

"You've slept less than three hours," Lelouch pointed out, holding her by her arms and pulling the red-haired girl up to her feet.

"I told you! I'm alright." She snapped at him. "Don't take me for that frail girl at Ashford just because I'm being nice to you!"

Lelouch chuckled. "Hahaha, of course not." He then regarded her sternly. "But I can't just let you do all the work. You've taken care of me for so long already. Go and take a short nap. I'll take watch."

"But...You're hurt." Kallen protested. "Your wounds are barely healing."

"Yes, but you're exhausted." Lelouch wasn't going to let her win this one. "You're not going to be able to do _anything_ without rest."

Lelouch knew he already won as Kallen shrugged in defeat. Kallen was one of the most selfless people he knew and she will rest if only so she could better protect him.

"Fine," The former Black Knight scowled, and then poked a finger at his chest. "But you better not do anything stupid while I'm gone." Kallen's eyes narrowed in warning. "If you end up getting another even a tiny cut, you'll get it from me!" She snarled.

Smirking Lelouch replied, "And what will you do?" He gave her his disarming smile. And to his surprise, Kallen smiled back, albeit a sly one.

"Oh don't worry about that." Kallen gave him a wink. "I have my ways." With that she kissed his cheek and turned away.

Lelouch absently touched the area where Kallen kissed him and involuntarily smiled watching the red head going off.

As the black prince sat down on the rock, Lelouch stared at the water. He remembered the last time he had enjoyed the company of a female like this and frowned.

"Shirley..." He remembered the ginger haired girl, so innocent and so pure, laughing at their friends' jokes or desperately trying to get his attention at various point of time. Finally, the horrible image of her dying reappeared in his mind.

"_I love you...Lelou..."_

"I'm so sorry, Shirley..." Lelouch's eyes started water again. It was his entire fault. He had led her into this war, this world of cruelty. It had been bad enough he had caused Euphie's death.

He absently turned to see Kallen. The half-Britannian had collapsed on her makeshift bed without even taking off her shoes.

Shaking his head at her stubbornness, Lelouch walked over to her. She was soundly asleep, so exhausted Kallen was after everything she had done. And it wouldn't take an idiot to understand why too.

Lelouch shifted her body along to make her more comfortable and took off her shoes and socks, noticing how delicate and pale her feet were despite her hard demeanour.

After tucking her in with her blanket, the raven haired prince absently ran a hand through her hair.

"Lelouch..." Kallen suddenly muttered softly to herself.

The Black Prince gave her a smile.

"Sweet dreams," He whispered and he remembered the times he had taken Nunnally to bed, who likewise was now in the beyond as well.

Lelouch's eyes suddenly narrowed with grim determination.

"I won't lose you too, Kallen." He promised. Lelouch had lost too many people already, his friends, sisters and many others. He would make sure Kallen gets what she deserved. With this new life given by the sacrifices made by Rolo and Kallen herself, he would make sure she gets to live in the world she wanted. He had failed Nunnally. He will not fail Kallen.

* * *

Suzaku had been with a terrible headache. His face was sore and throbbing, swelling out around the bridge of his nose and half-shutting his eyes. His nostrils were black with caked blood and the back of his head was a contusion too tender to be touched.

He had forgotten why he was on the island and was wondering mindlessly in search of anyone or anything while he tried to remember.

Despite the pain, the Japanese knight pushed on, feeling that there was something he needed to do but could not remember properly what. With the sheer power of his will as well as Lelouch's accursed live command, Suzaku staggered his way through the forest.

That was when he suddenly stumbled on a rope and found himself dangling upside down from a tree.

"Well...well...what do we have here?" A familiar female voice said.

Suzaku found himself watching a fuzzy image of Kallen Kouzki aiming a rifle at the Knight of Seven.

"Sh...shoot me...I deserve it." An evil laugh replied to him.

"So this is where you end up..." Lelouch came behind Kallen, dressed in Zero's purple tunic though there was blood on it.

"Lelouch..."

"To think I thought you were a friend..." Lelouch all but spat the words and Suzaku flinched as if he had been struck.

"I deserved that." The Japanese knight acknowledged.

"Damn, you!" Lelouch snarled and Kallen took aim with her weapon as if ready to fire upon Lelouch's order.

"Why are you here?" Suzaku made out at the two. "Did...did you come to kill the Emperor?"

"He can't be killed." Lelouch said. "But he might as well have been."

Suzaku chuckled, ironically. "Then you did my job for me..."

"You were trying to kill him?" Kallen asked surprised.

"Might as well join you Black knights in killing..."

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Kallen shouted surprising both Lelouch and Suzaku. "I serve Lelouch. Nothing more."

Just then a voice suddenly appeared from a radio.

Lelouch turned. "I think they're here."

Kallen nodded. "I'll go get them."

As the red haired walked off, Suzaku coughed and smiled at Lelouch.

"So now you finally used your Geass on her as well...?"

He was interrupted by a punch in the face.

"I DID NOT USE IT ON HER!" Lelouch snarled in anger that shocked the Japanese knight.

He quickly calmed down. "But what about you now? You have betrayed the Empire now by trying to kill the Emperor for whoever you serve. Considering what you look like now, you might as well been dead to them. A discarded tool."

"So you're now gloating on me?" Suzaku asked glaring at the prince.

"No." Lelouch walked closer to the hanging knight. "I want to make a contract."

Suzaku scoffed. "I'd rather die than serve Zero."

"Zero is dead." Lelouch remarked. "And no, you will not fight Britannia. On the contrary, if you follow me...maybe...you will still become the Knight of One."

Suzaku's eyes widened.

**Sorry for taking so long. Been emoing alot! Hope this is good. I think its pretty badly done though.**


	9. Chapter 9: A Brave New World

**Weeks later in the United States of Japan**

She had never been so frightened before in her entire life. The green haired girl huddled against the wall in the dark dank cell which was patrolled by scary men in black with snarling faces.

She was suddenly not in France in this strange new world with moving paintings, lanterns that burn on forever, and doors that open with a mere touch.

But that was it. Everything else was just the same. The world looked scary and was filled with cruel ogres and she saw on the paintings the monsters fighting and people dying.

Master was the only one who had been kind to her. In fact the only one in her entire life to treat her in such a way. Everyone else treated her like the dirt she was.

And now that he was gone, she had no choice but to hide again and those men in black came and dragged her to the dungeon where they tried to question her about the master. She was scared and she didn't know much about him anyway but they still didn't believe her and tortured her.

The pale emerald stress woman cuddled against the wall at the memories she suffered at their hands.

Then suddenly the door opened again and she let out a yelp and covered her body.

"Please don't hurt me!" A young slim-muscular woman with black hair and a purple visor entered the room with a grim face. She walked to her and the green haired woman shouted.

"Shh..." The newcomer murmured. "Quiet. I'm here to get you out of here." The green haired girl quieted at once. She recognised the voice. The woman knelt and took of her visor.

"Don't worry, C.C. You'll be alright." She assured. That's...that's what the master called her. And this woman...she was the one who came into the room too before Master disappeared.

"Lelouch sent me." She said

"Master?" C.C asked.

"Yeah," The woman helped her stand up. "Come on." But C.C. pulled back. "No! If I go, those men..."

"Don't worry," She assured her. "I'll take care of you. Now come."

With hesitation, C.C followed the woman out.

"Mistress?" She asked. "Is the Master alright?"

The woman was surprised by the question but nodded. "Yeah, he is. At least I hope he is. And please, call me Kallen."

They made their way to the elevator and after shoving C.C inside, a dark and violet figure appeared down the way.

"Hey you!" A Black Knight shouted. Kallen quickly pressed the close button but the guard reached the elevator before it closed.

"Baka!" Kallen cried and threw a kick into the man's face and C.C cried out as the man's face bloodied. The half-Britannian woman pulled off her hat and loosed her fake black hair.

"Now they know we're here." They reached the fourth floor but instead met a group of black uniforms.

"Crap." Kallen quickly closed the door and head for the next floor. Unfortunately, the Black Knights must have already deactivated the elevator as it refused to respond to her.

"Baka!" Kallen cursed again and snapped at C.C. "Follow me and keep running."

With that Lelouch's lover charged into the Black knights with a snarl. The soldiers were shocked to see one of their own suddenly attacking and that was enough for her to finish them. She threw in a flying kick into the first one then tripped the second one in a brief second. A female Black knight tried to draw her pistol but Kallen knocked it off and smashed a palm strike into her nose breaking it. Two other Black knights tried to grab her arms.

"What the heck are you doing?" One of them asked and received an elbow to his chin for his confusion. His companion fared better trying to fight back but Kallen easily went through his defences and threw the man into the dazed soldier. The female soldier got back up and threw in a round house kick at Kallen which went wide and blocked a second kick. Kallen wanted to end this fast so she thrust a punch into the other woman's stomach then tried to move away but the Black knight still insisted on fighting, this time grabbing her hair where the fake black wig dropped.

"Huh?" The soldier was confused. "Captain Kouzki?" Kallen did not answer and punched her square in the face. The fight barely lasted a minute and C.C thankfully despite her fear continued running along the corridor. As Kallen joined her, she heard shouting and knew that there were squads of armed guards heading their way. They had to go to the second elevator.

"This way!" Kallen called to her frightened companion. They ran into trio of Black Knights and the red-haired woman charged into the group barrelling into them before they get a chance to move.

"What's goin...Agaraah!" The first soldier met the heel of Kallen's foot into his lungs. Kallen twisted around and broke the neck of a bellowing officer then snapped the neck of the last one. They made a second turn and the elevator opened up with a full squad of Black knights with rifles.

Kallen grabbed a screaming C.C and ran into the next room as a volley of lead rained on them. She bared the door and was stunned to see another squad in the room though the guards seemed more surprised to see them as they were of them. Kallen recovered first and shot the officer through his head then blew the brains out of another one as she pushed C.C to the ground.

"Stay here." She said then moved forward as she drew her knife. The soldiers did not recognise her due to her purple visor and aimed to maim her. They were good marksmen but Kallen had been too fast and they were too cramped to use their rifles in the room with all the desks and laptops. She kicked a laptop towards the gun fire and it scattered in the stream of bullets. Kallen used the distraction to plant another bullet into another Black knight. Then she was among them and Kallen slit the throat of the first Black knight then stunned a second one with the butt of her pistol.

"C.C, come on!" Kallen shouted to the green haired girl and weeping at the same time, Zero's former right hand made her way to her when the bared door broke open.

"Down!" She grabbed an assault rifle and emptied the clip into the door. The first two soldiers were caught in the stream of fire and the others dove in for cover. Kallen did not relent, firing the rifle by the hip on her left hand and blasting the scattering Black Knights with her pistol. To C.C she was like a warrior woman from the stories. This woman was every bit of worthy to be the Master's queen. She wanted to help her so she fought her fear and struggled to reach the woman's side. K

allen lobbed a grenade as C.C gotten through and the two women made their way to the next door into the hall.

_Shit, where's that goddamn hanger? _Kallen cursed as she flipped through her memory.

"Mistress, I don't think I can go on any longer."

"Don't give me that talk! We're almost there." Finally, Kallen managed to direct them to the right path when all of a sudden a squad of ebony armoured soldiers dressed in the Chinese Federation styled uniform blocked their way. Their commanding officer in the green-olive Japanese army uniform with a sheathed katana at her side marched up and barked.

"That's as far as you go!" Kallen's eyes widened. It was Chiba, one of Todoh's Holy Swords.

The former Japanese army officer froze when she met her gaze. "Kouzki?"

In response, Kallen tossed a flash bang and then fired her rifle and pistol into them. She took out an NCO with a well aimed pistol shot and rained bullets on the others. Their armour was too thick to pierce with mere spraying but at least that would wound them or keep them down.

Chiba however was too fast. In her lighter clothing she zoomed pass the fire and lunged at Kallen with a drawn sword. The former Black knight blocked the slash with her rifle.

"C.C get inside!" The red-haired woman barked as she shoved her opponent off. Chiba backed off then dove in with multiple slashes and thrusts. Kallen block and parry each and every strike then hurled the rifle at her former comrade in arms. Chiba swiftly parried the rifle aside with her sword and Kallen used the distraction to jump into the hanger and closed the door.

"Come back you traitor!" Chiba snarled and lunged into the gap, tackling into Kallen as the doors shut.

"Mistress!" C.C shouted as the two women slammed into the floor. The fall bruised Kallen's back but she managed to recover first and threw a kick at Chiba's chin. The Holy Sword cried out as she fell back.

"C.C, get to the red machine!" Kallen tried to get up but instead she received a blow to her back.

"Ah!" Kallen cried out in pain but she managed to land properly. Her opponent was already charging forward with her sword. She narrowly avoided a cut above her bosom but that gave her time to grab Chiba's wrist. The two fighters struggled.

"Why did you do it?" The Japanese woman asked. "Why did you betray Japan to that bastard?"

Kallen gritting her teeth as Chiba used her superior height and experience to her advantage.

"You were Japanese." She continued. "You abandoned a luxurious life to fight for a nation that would otherwise abandon you and you threw it all away in a moment. You were not like Kururugi, so why did you do it?"

"You very well know why I did what I did!" Kallen snarled, pulled hard then drove her knee into the other woman's stomach. "You of all people would understand!" She gave an upper-cut that dazed the other woman. Before she could finish her opponent off however, Chiba swung her sword and Kallen had to jump a step back to avoid being cut into half. Drawing her two knives, Kallen readied in combat stance as the two circled one another.

"Don't be naive, girl!" The older woman shouted swinging her sword which Kallen managed to block with her duel knives. "That bastard is using you like he used everyone else!"

"I wouldn't be surprised if Ohgi had asked but how could you question that?" Kallen avoided another thrust. She replied with slashes of her own though too care not let it be too wild as Chiba was wielding a longer blade. They traded blows, throwing punches and kicks each time they got close but still unable to draw first blood.

"I don't want to fight you." Kallen said as they clashed again.

"Neither do I." Chiba replied. While they were not close, both women had a great deal of respect for each other. "We should be fighting side by side for Japan."

"The Japan I believed doesn't exist anymore!" Kallen said. "I fight for someone who had sacrificed so much for us. I know you don't like him but think properly!"

"I lost many comrades because of him! He treated us like tools! Chess pieces! Why can't you see that?"

"I can see that. I can see that it tore him with pain that you can't imagine!" Chiba swung again.

"You are a fool!"

"No, you are!" Kallen replied with a thrust. "Todoh-sama would understand that!" The other woman's face twisted with contempt. "How...dare you compare that demon to him!"

Chiba's next swing took one of Kallen's daggers from her hand.

"He's NOT a demon!" Kallen shouted back and with a swift kick disarmed her opponent. But that did not leave her undangerous and Chiba returned with a palm strike into Kallen's face. Chiba proceeded to disarm her younger opponent then knocked the air out of her with a knee strike.

"You lose." The Japanese woman declared and she stumbled to the alarm panel. As Kallen struggled to recover then lunged at the other woman but she was ready and threw Kallen off with a judo throw.

"You're blinded by your love!" Chiba shouted as she brought her leg back to kick Kallen's face but the younger woman caught the booted foot and grinned.

"Look who's talking!" That comment finally broke all barriers of the other woman's martial discipline and she proceeded to beat her anger on the other female. Chiba was one of the Black knights' finest fighters and while the two women never sparred before Kallen had heard of her prowess and only now she faced it. She was hard pressed by the raining blows. Chiba grabbed a fist full of Kallen's hair then proceeded to knee her former comrade breaking one of Kallen's ribs but the half-Japanese woman managed to bring herself up and hook a leg around the other woman's back then kneed Chiba's jaw.

The vicious duel left both women dazed but Kallen knew it had to end fast so she lunged herself on the older woman and both fell to the ground in a frail of wild blows. Both received punishing blows from the other and their bodies were covered with sweat, blood and bruises. Then Chiba gained the upper hand and proceeded to beat the sense out of Kallen raining blow after blow. Kallen barely managed to block as fists rained on her face and one particularly hard one almost knocked her out and left her nose bleeding. Chiba's face now red with bruises, scratches and blood on her mouth raised her hand for the finishing blow when a pair of pale hands grabbed her hair.

"Mistress, run!" C.C shouted, trying to pull Chiba's brown hair from her skullcap. The soldier turned and knocked the green haired immortal off with a single elbow strike. That gave Kallen time to throw both her feet and kicked Chiba off her. The two women coughed as they struggled to regain their feet.

"You're as good as they say," Chiba muttered.

"I don't need to hear that from you." Kallen replied with venom.

"But it's time to end this little dispute." Chiba said, taking off her tunic leaving the woman with her green army singlet. Kallen did the same taking off her once prized but now disgusted Black knight uniform and readied in her yellow top with black straps. The two women regarded each other in a moment then charged at each other with a feral cry. They fought in a series of graceful blows that would have those watching thinking it was choreographed. Punches and kicks rained down on another like in a fighting game leaving each other bruises and anger. Chiba finally held her younger opponent in a head lock ignoring the pain from Kallen's nails that bit into her bare arms.

"Sur...ren...der," She hissed. Blood and bruises covered both women's faces.

"Ne..ver..." Kallen replied as she suddenly lunged forward and bit into the other woman's arm. With a cry of pain, Chiba let go and received a head-butt in the face. Kallen fought for her breath as a dazed Chiba lunged on to her. The two women fell to the ground again. Blows became slower and soon it turned into a deadly grapple. Suddenly the door started banging.

"You're...not getting out of here..." The Black knight muttered wrapping her legs around Kallen in a deadlock to prevent her from going. Desperate, Kallen started punching into her opponent's face but Chiba pulled her so close that their faces were touching. A bruised C.C came back trying to pry the two wrestling women off each other.

"Damn...bitch..." Chiba muttered, gritting her teeth. Kallen squeezed in a hand and try to push Chiba's face off. C.C took the idea and pulled Chiba's hair and chin. Slowly, Kallen managed to pull out of Chiba's deadly grip.

"No." Chiba shouted and resumed her grip and wrestled with Kallen's attempts to break free. Finally Kallen broke a hand free and scratched the other woman's face.

"Ah!" Chiba cried out and her frailing hands managed to strike Kallen's cheek leaving a scar on hers as well but ignoring it, Kallen brought her fists down on the other woman.

One. Two. And on the third, Chiba's body was still.

An exhausted Kallen fell back almost joining her opponent.

"Mistress!" C.C helped Kallen up and they headed towards the _Guren_.

"We're getting out of here."

* * *

Slowly the world returned to Rolo as he slowly opened his eyes. He was lying on a bed and was staring at the ceiling wondering how he had arrived here.

"Is this heaven?" He wondered.

Then suddenly he remembered and as if to prove the fact that he was still alive, Rolo started to cough violently. He felt like vomiting and turned to the bowel beside him and threw his guts out. It felt as if all of his organs would come spilling out of his mouth and as reeled, his head start to throb and his shoulders straining and sore from terrible bruises. His left arm hurt likes never before and he could barely even move it and intense pain course through his body each time he moved. Blood splattered in the metallic dish but Rolo did not care.

Suddenly gentle hands touched his bare shoulders and massaged him, easing his sore muscles. Slowly they moved through his neck and back and spine to comfort him and slowly Rolo stopped and felt exhaustion overcoming him. "

Rest..." A soft gentle voice told him and Rolo fell back to his bed. The hands guided his head towards the pillow and tenderly laid him there. A hand brushed through his hair comforting him.

"There, there. You will be alright." A female voice said as the hand caressed his cheek. Rolo did not know who it was but had never felt so reassured before by someone else other than Lelouch and he felt his body relax. He opened his eyes to look at his companion.

A blurry image of a young girl with long sandy coloured hair much like his own watched him with closed eyes. He thought he had seen her before.

"Good." She said gently. "Would you like a drink?" Rolo nodded and while she did not seem to see it, the girl must have sensed it as she reached for the side for a cup and brought it towards him. The former assassin drank from it gratefully and as he tried to put the cup back, Rolo finally recognised who the girl was.

The cup dropped to the ground with a clang.

"Oh..." She gasped lightly. "Did something just happen? Are you alright?"

Rolo could not make a single sound.

"Hello?" Nunnally Vi Britannia asked.

With a gagged snarl, Rolo reached his working hand out to crush the throat of the Princess but could not reach her and his body would not obey. Pain coursed his body as he struggled to grasp her throat. Here was someone who had once been a background knowledge that Rolo needed to complete his mission.

Someone who he had been sent to replace. Someone who held the place in Lelouch Vi Britannia's heart that no one would have a place that Rolo desperately wanted to take. Someone who Rolo wanted to bury his knife into...

"Please, calm down. You're safe." Lelouch's sister told him.

_But you're not._Rolo mentally sneered.

But suddenly his lost his will as gentle hands grabbed his outstretch hand.

"There's no need to tense up. No one would hurt you." She spoke again gently. At this range, he could pull her to him and squeeze the life out of this girl and he would have the place he so desired. Rolo froze. There was nothing she could do to stop him from killing her...and yet she was worried about him being hurt. He was actually wounded, weakened and not in the right state of mind but she was blind, crippled and what could she do to stop him from tearing her apart and yet...yet Nunnally was trying to _help_ him. He wanted to tear those hands off him, break every bone it had then rip her tiny head from that feeble body.

But he didn't. No, he couldn't.

"Please. Relax." And despite his efforts, Nunnally touched his cheek softly. Rolo could have bitten it off, every single finger but he didn't.

Rolo did nothing. He did nothing as his mind was filled with images of ways to coldly murder this female while she was trying to ease him.

She did not know he was going to kill her. How could she? She was blind, crippled and could do nothing. Nothing! Nothing of use to help Lelouch. Her gentle hand caressed his face. They were soft and smooth to touch. And most of all they were comforting...so very comforting that he wished the feeling would not end... Rolo stopped all efforts of struggle and stared at the young girl who smiled at him and watched him despite not being able to actually see him...

And all of a sudden Rolo's heart was filled with shame.

Shame of what he had done before. Ashamed of being unable help Lelouch when he needed help most. Shame for killing so many people heartlessly and mindlessly. And above all shame for thinking such thoughts... How much he envied those of his own age that did not need to feel such things. How they were able to live happily and enjoy the comforts of life. How when they feel pain, they could go to their love ones for comfort.

As if feeling his sudden emotional turmoil, Nunnally edge her wheel-chair closer to the bed and brought both of her hands to feel his face and head. She lifted them and brought them to her shoulder although a bit clumsily.

"Forgive me for that." She said as she tried to lay Rolo's head on her shoulder and rest it there while her hands rubbed his back soothingly. "It's ok. It's ok. I cannot do much but I promise I will be here to help you."

Then...Rolo finally broke and cried...his humanity finally breaking free of the cold hard assassin's shell.

* * *

"_It's been one month since the destruction caused by the FLEIA warhead."_ Milly Ashford started.

"Agrah!" A soldier fell as his chest was split open by a golden blade. A Britannian army helmet rolled down trailing blood on the floor as it did and stopped as it met a pile of redden armoured corpses. Jeremiah withdrew his blade.

"Sector 6 cleared."

"_Today, His Majesty Emperor Charles will make an important announcement to the entire nation."_

"Halt you, stop!" The Guard officer shouted. The grey-coated soldiers turned their rifles around at the dark clad intruder. The newcomer charged at the squad as the soldiers opened fired. The figure darted left then right easily avoiding the streams of bullets as if they were nothing. The soldiers trail after their target but he was too fast then as he closed the distance, the figure leapt up spinning. The officer tried to draw his pistol as the figure's leg extended out and swept across the troopers, sending them flying against the wall with shattered bones and broken rifles.

"Sector 7 cleared."

"_We will be bringing you live international coverage of this from Pendragon Imperial Palace._

"I thought I heard something." A Royal Guardsman muttered to his companion then gasped to find a sword blade pouting out from his chest.

"Sector 8 cleared."

_"E__ven though His Majesty has not made any public appearances in the past month."_

"Sector 9 cleared."

Lelouch nodded in grim satisfaction watching all entrances of the Palace cleared of Imperial troops. He idly brought his bishop and knocked a white rook off the table.

The former prince had complete control of all entrances into the Palace and no one could get in or out with him knowing.

The Emperor's Royal Guard was too busy attending to the hundreds of guests to greet the return of the Emperor including most of the royal family and highest ranking nobles. It was a shame that Cornelia, Schneizel and the remaining Knights of the Round were not there but he would deal with them later. The fake message of Bismarck reporting Charles' return had worked perfectly.

With the Guard distracted to make sure that no power hungry prince or noble would try anything on the newly return Emperor, Lelouch's own "Royal Guard" would make sure they stayed that way until the rest of his plan follows through. The former Zero stared at his chessboard where a black knight, rook, bishop and king surrounded the white king and a pair of pawns. Without realising it, Lelouch searched for the black queen on the board which was held at the corner of the board flanked by two rooks and a knight.

**Two Weeks ago...**

"_I'm going to the Homelands and I'm taking Jeremiah and Suzaku with me." Lelouch told Kallen as they stood over a skyscraper._

"_So when are we leaving?" Kallen asked, at once._

"_We'__ll be leaving tomorrow morning." Lelouch said quickly. "But you will stay here."_

"_What?" The red-haired woman shouted. "You're joking."_ _The black prince gave her a serious look._

_Kallen barked a laugh. "I can't do that."_

"_Kallen."_

"_I can't do that!" She shouted.__ "You've just barely recovered. We just got those bullets out a week ago. You need me."_

"_You're right." Lelouch agreed. "But__..."_

"_But nothing!" She snapped. "I'm going whether you like it or not."_

_Lelouch sighed in frustration. __"Look, Kallen."_

"_I told you I'm going to follow you wherever you go."_

"_This is only for a while." __Lelouch protested. "I need to do something in the Homelands."_

"_And I can help!" Kallen argued. "With the three of us, there'll be a better chance for you do whatever you're going to do.__"_

"_Kallen, don't take it the wrong way. I'm asking you not come because I need you here."_

"_And what do you need me here for?" She protested.__ "I'm your best knight. My place is at your side."_

"_Be reasonable." Lelouch said. In response, Kallen wrapped her arms around him__ and laid her head on his shoulder. The former prince froze not expecting the reaction._

"_Why are you pushing me away?" She whispered__, holding him closer. "You know how I feel. You know I'm willing to go to hell if you just give me the world."_

_Lelouch returned her hug. "__I know. You're my most valuable piece. I can't bear to lose you."_

"_Then why?"_ _They stood in silence t__rying to understand each other's purpose._"_You know that you can trust me right?" Kallen asked meekly, her fear that the answer would be __otherwise obvious._

"_Yes," Lelouch decided to try another tactic. __"But do you trust me?"_ _Kallen hesitate__d._

"_I want you to trust me," He whispered into her ear. "Like you've always have before."_

"_I...I just can't bear to lose you." Kallen whimpered._

"_You won't.__" Lelouch assured her. "Stay here with your mother. I know you're very worry about her. With your time with me, you haven't been able to be with her. I can't have that. I lost my mother. I want you to be with yours."_ _Kallen stared into his eyes, her azure __orbs looking at him uncertainly._

"_Trust me. When I'm done, I'll come back for you."_

_To convince her, Lelouch lean forward and kissed her.__ She responded passionately, wrapping her arms around his neck._

**Back to the present**

Lelouch touched his lips. In an instant, he regretted that move. He had given in into his emotions. He knew that his growing feelings for this brave beautiful woman were something that could endanger her. He had to be more careful.

Kallen deserved a better man. That man was certainly not him.

"Presenting His Imperial Majesty!" The Guard captain shouted and the trumpets roared.

Lelouch would have to think about that later. With a confidence that made him into the man he was now, Lelouch calmly walked onto the stage ignoring the startled faces of the audience.

"What?"

"That's not His Majesty."

"What the hell is this?"

All over the world, people murmured their puzzlement. Kallen among them in Japan.

"What...Lelouch...?"

Lelouch took his seat on the Imperial throne.

"Greetings. I am Lelouch Vi Britannia of the Royal Family, 99th Emperor of the Realm."

"It's really you?" Princess Karine le Britannia blurted the youngest of the assembled group.

"You're alive?" Princess Guinevere su Britannia asked.

"Yes, sister." Lelouch replied. "I've returned from the depths of hell intact."

_My god...Lelouch what are you trying to do?_ Kallen asked herself watching the Television.

"Kallen? Is there something wrong?" Her mother asked, sitting up on her bed.

"Mistress, please." C.C called. "You're still hurt."

Kallen couldn't hear anything around her.

A man in a rich grey uniform stepped forward despite the tension. "Lelouch, how good to see you!" Prince Odysseus said nicely.

"When Nunnally was located, I figured you would be found alive as well." He laughed a little. "But now, aren't you carrying this joke a bit too far?" The First Prince spoke as if it was all a minor incident. "That's the throne of our fath..."

"Charles zi Britannia, the 98th Emperor no longer lives." Lelouch interrupted him with a sneer. "And I was the one who took his life." Gasps and sounds of shock and disbelief filled the entire court. "Therefore," The black prince continued as if nothing had happened. "That makes me the next Emperor!"

"What are you saying? Are you nuts?" Karine shouted in disbelief, disregarding Britannian protocol. Guinevere however was not going to let this go without a fight.

"Guards!" The silver haired princess called. "Take that fool and execute him!" Grey-coated guards with flowing red capes stormed in with rifled pole arms.

"He's guilty of murdering our Emperor!" The blood red blades lunged forward towards Lelouch who just grinned at the entire spectacle he was creating with grim amusement.

"No!" Kallen shouted back in Japan as the blades closed distance when a dark figure dropped from the ceiling spinning. Suddenly the Royal Guards were tossed off the stage like toys, their weapons and bodies shattered. A young man with brown hair and green eyes stood up.

"Suzaku?" Kaguya blurted.

Lelouch gestured to his companion.

"May I introduce Sir Suzaku Kururugi, my knight. A Knight of the Round above all others, I grant him the title Knight of Zero."

"Knight of Zero?" Gino Weinburg shouted. "Is that what you want Suzaku?"

"Knight of Zero?" Kallen murmured. "But...I thought...I was..."

"Suzaku...and Lelouch...they're working together?" Kaguya wondered.

The kind-hearted Odysseus tried to stop the scene again. "Lelouch, Sir Kururugi. This just will not do." He talked as if he was scolding a naughty child.

"Pulling a stunt like this on an international broadcast..." He was again interrupted by Lelouch's dark chuckle.

"Do you think so?" The former Zero asked. "Then let me make this easy for you all to understand..."

He stood up and took of his contact lenses.

His eyes glowed crimson with the Geass symbol.

"Acknowledge me as Emperor!" He shouted to the assembled nobles.

Kallen gasped. "Oh...no..."

Odysseus looked up at his younger brother with a new face. "We hear and obey, Your Majesty!"

"All hail Emperor Lelouch!" Karine and Guinevere shouted in unison.

"All hail Lelouch! All hail Lelouch! All hail Lelouch!" The court began chanting. The chanting spread to the loudspeakers and even the breaking down of the door by the Royal Guards and the knights of Britannia's various knight orders attending the arrival. The warriors stood shock as their entire ruling class had acknowledged a young boy in a school uniform as their new Emperor. Lelouch spotted them and grinned. These men were not blindly loyal to the Empire. He had been right to have some of the Empire's greatest warriors summoned to Pendragon. He would take all that he could.

But as he thought of the words, Kallen's shock face filled his mind. She was no doubt watching him now with not a little surprise and confusion. While keeping her away from him would protect her, Lelouch could not feel the chill that flowed down his spine at the thought and what would come. He closed his eyes. Lelouch went through his plan again.

He would start the Zero Requiem which would bring the ultimate peace and create the world which Kallen so desired. If he did that, he would become the Demon that will conquer the world and in turn throw Kallen away from his side and turn her into his enemy at least until his death and soon both would get what they wanted.

Kallen her peaceful world and him his own death...

_Lelouch...I can't live without you..._ Kallen's face filled with tears stared at him.

She would be heart-broken...broken at his death.

"_Lulu, don't do this." _Shirley's voice came.

"_Brother, please."_ Euphie pleaded.

_ "Don't torture yourself over this!_ _You still owe her!"_ Shirley reminded him. _"You owe that to _all_ of us!"_

"_Lelouch!__ You have to live!"_

The new Emperor of Britannia stood motionless as if lost in his victory. People from all over the globe watched in puzzlement as the most powerful man on earth froze. Then without warning, he raised his hand for silence. The gesture surprised even his personal knight who stared at his liege as if he had done something incredible horrible. Then Lelouch opened his eyes. But there was something different in them. The proud and arrogant royal who defiantly took the throne of Britannia right in front of the world was gone suddenly. Instead in the hazy violet eyes was an idealistic young man who had thought to have died so long ago.

"Eleven Years ago," Lelouch began his voice quiet but clear. "I watched haplessly as my mother died right in front of my eyes and my sister blinded and crippled to be discarded like an object because she did not fit into the system. Then we were sent to Japan to be political hostages and only to face a brutal invasion by our own people. I have seen nothing but death and war in my childhood.

"Britannia was my enemy. Britannia was the one who brought the pain. I swear to myself that I will have _nothing_...nothing to do with the Empire again! As years progressed, I watched from the sidelines with contempt in my heart and choosing to ignore what had to be done. And for that I lost the only people I loved." Suzaku now faced his former friend completely like everyone else in the world and flinched visibly as Lelouch spoke again.

"Princess Euphemia," He said it clearly. "My dear half-sister was drugged by her political enemies into going berserk. I could have stopped them yet I didn't. And for that, it wasn't her...but I, Lelouch vi Britannia killed all those people."

Tears poured down his eyes as the memory of what really happened played in his mind again. There were now gasps and surprises at this transformation. The Japanese knight was now giving him a death glare and unable to decide whether to kill Lelouch or to listen. How dare he? How dare he mention her name after all he has done? This was not part of the plan!

"I will never forgive myself for my lapses. Then I lost...friends...many friends...and yet I still hide in the shadows. Then Nunnally..." It took everything he had to compose himself.

"But..." He started, gasping for a breath and drying his tears.

"But..." No one moved. Everyone watched anxiously to see what the Emperor had to say. "But now...I realise that the only way to make sure those lives...all the blood spilled..."

"Blood spilt..." Kallen remembered the words. "Did not spill in vain...was to create a better world for those left. Charles revived the past legacies of glory and evolution. I do not care for the past. What I want to give is the future!" Lelouch spoke passionately waving his hand like he had always done as Zero.

"A future where there will be cooperation and peace where no one needs to raise their swords to settle their differences. Not just for Britannia but for the world...a peaceful world...a world for the sake of those who had died.

"What Zero started, I want to finish it!" Todoh absently nodded in approval of the speech despite his doubts.

Kaguya gasped in shock. "He really is Zero." She whispered.

"Could he really be telling the truth?" Ohgi wondered.

Tamaki cheered. "So he really is my best buddy! I told you!"

"A world where there will be no more discrimination! No more classes. No more tools. Every man, woman and child would be counted for regardless of their background."

"Regardless of their background?" Gino murmured in deep thought. "Charles thinks that human evolution is through struggle but he thinks that struggle means to destroy each other! No, the greatest victory is the battle that was not fought! We humans are better than this! We can create such a world." Lelouch paused in his speech letting his words hang in the atmosphere.

"That is why I have taken this throne." Lelouch looked to the group of Royal Guards and Knights who had broken through the door. "You, soldiers. Would you help me create this world?" The men looked at each other embarrassingly as the world's population suddenly looked at them. Finally a knight with grey hair and wearing a red and blue uniform walked up with his sword drawn.

"I...I was led to believe that only through strength we could gain our dreams." He said. "I have betrayed, deceived, murdered and manipulated to gain this rank...and I hated every moment I live now." He paused. "I believe in the world you speak of." The knight said. "I want to redeem myselfIt would be an honour, Your Majesty." He saluted. "All hail Lelouch!"

Slowly the warriors and nobles began to murmur amongst themselves.

"All hail Lelouch!" Another shouted.

"Yes, a new gentler world. All hail Lelouch!" Soon the voices grew and grew. Some scowled especially the higher ranking nobles but with most of the voices shouting for support and the Imperial family opening supporting the Emperor, they remained quiet. Lelouch knew they will be trouble but he'll deal with them later.

"All hail Emperor Lelouch! All hail the New World!"

"All hail Lelouch! All hail Lelouch! All hail Lelouch!" Lelouch looked to Suzaku who stood still captivated by the speech and met his gaze. After a moment, the Japanese knight's eyes narrowed and he bowed low to hide his expression.

"Then help me build this new Britannia! Let it be the beacon of light for the world! For Britannia! For the New World!"

"All hail Lelouch! All hail Britannia! All hail the New World!"

"A new world..." Suzaku murmured. "Euphie...do you want this?"

**I think the ending of THIS chapter was a bit lame but I wasn't sure on how to end it. How was it guys? Read and Review!  
**


	10. Chapter 10: The Great Siege of Camelot

**Sorry for taking SOOO LONG. I wanted to make this chapter epic but I think this time I overshot it. It's the longest chapter I've written yet. I hope you'll enjoy it. ^^**

* * *

**"The 99th Emperor Lelouch upon his succession to the Britannian throne has ordered the destruction of the Imperial Mausoleum and the names of the past Britannian Emperors. His Imperial Majesty had also taken much of the powers of the aristocracy and ordered the abolishment of the Number system. In the Imperial Senate, the Emperor has created the House of Commons with more than 80% of the seats taken.**

**"His Majesty's polices have led to a divided state in Britannia with heavy support from the commoners and former numbers and unrest and loathing from the majority of the nobles. Still the Imperial family has given the Emperor his full support from all the policies. **

**"However, the House of Lords ardently protested against the policy and declared that Lelouch was a usurper and his claim to the throne was illegitimate. They made it clear that should anyone rule after the Emperor Charles, it would be Prince Schneizel.**

** "Although he has yet to make any public statement, Prince Schneizel formerly the Prime Minister of Britannia was declared by the Imperial Senate the true heir to the Imperial crown. **

**"Both Lelouch and Schneizel had influence on their side. Schneizel had the support of the Arch-Dukes and the Imperial Senate, giving him excess to a massive portion of the Britannian Army. "However, disenfranchised nobles and knights and the commoners clearly supported the new Emperor. This may put Britannia in a state of civil war."**

* * *

**Pendragon Imperial Palace**

Lelouch adjusted the crimson cloak in front of the mirror. He wore a richly made white jacket and pants both, gold trimmed and purple collars. Usually, the black-haired royal did not really care much for such things but he had to admit he looked good in it. It was almost identical to the uniform he wore as a prince so long ago. Lelouch briefly wondered what his mother would thought of him should she be still alive.

"I'm sorry, mother. I failed you." Lelouch murmured. "I promised that you'd be avenged and that bastard is now stuck in that hellhole for eternity. But the price...? I have the blood of so many innocents on my hands...people who have nothing do to with this damn conflict. Not just that. My actions have killed both Euphie and Nunnally." The new Emperor banged his head against the hard mirror.

"But I will not fail her. I promise I will create a world worthy for all the losses that happened." The door opened and Lelouch sensed a familiar presence and straightened to compose himself.

"They think you're the new King Arthur." Suzaku said snidely.

"You don't approve?" Lelouch asked. As for Suzaku, as the Knight of Zero, he had a new uniform. It was similar to his old Knight uniform though it was now dark blue and gold trimmed with an ebony Knight of the Round's cloak. A sheathed gold hinted sword lay on his left hip and a well tooled pistol at the other.

Ironically he looked more like Zero himself.

"Since when did you care about other people's opinions?" The knight asked. The young Emperor chuckled. "Maybe you're right. But I am curious."

Suzaku glared at his former enemy and friend. "I only care about creating a world in the memory of Euphie. Nothing more."

"Oh really." Lelouch scoffed. "Don't worry about it. That's what I plan to do. Once that's done, I offer myself to the devil's den."

"You take a step away from it and I'll skewer you where you stand." Suzaku snarled.

Lelouch gave the Knight of Zero a smile. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Then suddenly an officer appeared at the entrance. The soldier was part of Lelouch's Royal Guard, made up of the former Emperor's personal guard, selected knights from the Capital's defence garrison and other 'persuaded' soldiers who were showing or were potentially rebellious or resistance towards Lelouch.

Lord Jeremiah Gottwald was the commander of the royal guard who, Suzaku noticed was currently absent. He suspected he was doing Lelouch's biddings. The soldier wore a black tunic with gold trimmings with and a white cape. He wore a steel helmet with a white plume. The red epaulettes on his shoulder showed that the guardsman was a captain.

"Forgive me, sire." The guard officer said. "But Lord Weinberg has arrived at the Palace. He seeks an audience with you."

"Gino?" Suzaku whispered, surprised. His face briefly showed disbelief before becoming wooden again.

"The Knight of Three? Very well, Captain Alastair. Sent him in." They headed to the throne room where the royal guard officer waited. Lelouch took his seat with Suzaku at his side then nodded.

The guard officer acknowledged then gestured. Two full squads of royal guardsmen in silver breastplates and black uniforms with red capes charged into the scene armed with rifles and ceremonial but nevertheless lethal swords and pikes. They took up strategic positions around the room and raised their weapons in salute, the red plumes on their gold helms and capes fluttering in response.

Only then did Alastair open the door. Gino Weinburg entered flanked by two visored guards with their guns ready to train on him. He was clad in the green cloak of the Knight of Three over his gold and white uniform.

However, his face did not hold any of the jovial expression that Lelouch often saw instead it was replaced with a distrustful scowl.

"Lord Gino Weinburg, the honourable Knight of Three," the Emperor started. "To what do I hold the pleasure?"

The blond knight stared straight at the Emperor. "That depends on your answer, Lelouch."

Alastair glared at Gino. "You are at the presence of His Majesty! How dare you show such insolence!" The two guards trained their rifles down.

Gino twisted his head around a bit. "You guys wanna play, huh?" Then with a flash of silver, the rifles were sent flying against the wall.

"Damn!" Suzaku moved in front of Lelouch with his sword drawn. The royal guards surrounded the tall knight, ready to fall upon him. Gino turned to Suzaku, raising his own sword.

"So Suzaku...this is what you really want?" The Japanese knight did not reply and just woodenly glared at his old comrade.

"Lower your weapons." Lelouch called out. "Please, let us not spill needless blood." The Emperor stood up from his throne allowing his crimson cloak to flow down and follow him like a possessed lover. "What Lord Weinburg asks is valid considering the change in political power."

Lelouch gave the Knight of Three his most charming smile. "And thus, Sir Gino, would you like to know?" The guards lowered their weapons but did not relax. With a careful glance at them and at Suzaku, Gino approached the Emperor.

"What I want to know is whether you intent to keep your word. Are you really willing to sacrifice everything to create this world you claim to make? I mean, after all that's what every leader from Eowyn to Zero claimed but not all have kept their promises." Gino grinned for a moment at the Emperor and his Knight. "I'm not just a simple grunt you know."

Suzaku's face just hardened.

But Lelouch chuckled. "Never saw you as such." The Emperor assured him. "Then, tell me, Sir Weinburg. What do you think of me? Do you think I'm like one of them?"

A brief moment of uncertainty crossed the Knight of Three. "I don't know. I want to believe in your world. I grew up as a noble but I never cared much of it and I don't like the Number system. I did not care that about it when I fell in love with a maid. I never believed that they deserved to be called Numbers. I think they're people too." Lelouch felt an unfamiliar sympathy for the knight. He had rarely encountered anyone from the aristocracy, hell, barely anyone from the Britannians who held such genuine compassion. Weinburg could prove to be a powerful ally and perhaps something else too.

"Then Sir Weinburg," Lelouch announced walking up to the knight. "We are more alike than I thought. We were both born to Britannia but have never believed in it and we want a gentler world where one is not judged because of one's birth or influences. We want a world where everyone could live freely and could choose their paths without such silly restrictions. I wish only to ask you to help me build this world."

Gino looked at the Emperor in the eye searching for any trace of lie then finally nodded and went to one knee.

"Then I swear my sword to you, Your Majesty." He said formally. Suzaku sheathed his sword and the guards returned to their posts. Lelouch nodded and bid him to rise.

"Then," Gino began as he stood up. "You would like to know you have sizeable amount of 'protesters' massing around the capital."

Lelouch smiled. "Yes, I am aware of that."

"How did you know?" Suzaku asked his voice so harsh that caused both Lelouch and Gino to stare at him.

The blond knight shrugged. "If Lelouch was just another power-hungry prince, then I was on my way to join them." He looked hard at the two. "I'm not willing to trade one tyrant for another."

Suzaku nodded, satisfied but his coldness stunned Gino.

"Then if I may, my lord," Captain Alastair asked. And when Lelouch nodded his permission said. "We are vastly outnumbered. We only have the Imperial Guard to protect the city and palace. We'll need to evacuate the civilians."

"Good. See to it, captain." Lelouch nodded. "So what is your next plan?" Suzaku asked. "Why let them come, of course!" That statement stunned the three.

"Just let them come?" Gino asked, puzzled.

"Why yes," Lelouch explained unleashing his charm on them as he used to do it as Zero. "When Arthur pulled the sword from the stone and became king, almost at once Camelot came under siege. Was it not?"

* * *

**Cambodia**

"That was unexpected." The former second Prince murmured, leaning back against his chair.

"What could he have hoped to achieve by doing this?" Cornelia asked, puzzled.

"It's simple." Schneizel replied. "He wants to change the world. Like Zero had. He wants to become a hero to the people. That is not like him to do that."

"But...this is Lelouch...we're dealing with!" Cornelia exclaimed.

"Yes, dear sister." Schneizel replied. "And if you remember the old Lelouch, the little brother who we used to adore, are you surprised?"

Kannon arrived at his side. "Your Highness, 4th Prince Cassius le Britannia has gathered a host and they're heading straight to Pendragon."

"They're actually going to lay siege to Pendragon?" Cornelia almost shouted.

"So it seems." Schneizel agreed.

"But even with the size of those fleets, Pendragon could not be taken that easily." Kannon commented.

The former Second Prince chuckled. "Of course. However, Pendragon is undermanned and that may prove to be an advantage to our dear brother. After all, they only want to get rid of the Emperor."

Cornelia grimaced. "They're going to need to find a way to get pass Pendragon's defences. Otherwise it'll be suicide."

The blond prince nodded. "First they will launch a full assault on the city."

* * *

**Imperial Capital of Pendragon**

The blue skies on the City of Lights had always been a sight that had awed many people. It was beautiful. More than that, it represented the peace and calm that the Britannians seek when their world had been scattered by Napoleon and the British revolutionaries and the constant fighting hardships faced by the first generations. Birds of many colours would fly, covering over the magnificent creation of the Empire. Upon the foundation of the Holy Empire of Britannia and the creation of the Pendragon Imperial Palace, the skies have been what reflected the glorious achievement and change that the former British nobles achieved when they became Britannians.

Now on the 18th October 2018, those very skies were covered by a thousand glowing lights of Float Systems and the hundred of aerial ships of the Imperial Armada descended upon the Britannian Capital like a swarm of birds down a prey. They were followed by the Imperial Air Force who numbered in the thousands.

"True soldiers of Britannia!" Dorothea Ernst, the Knight of Four shouted from the _Eowyn_, Pride of the Imperial Armada. "Our loyalty is to Charles zi Britannia! We will not accept this usurper on this throne! Now clean Pendragon of this filth!"

"Yes, milord!" At once, the ships open fired missiles and cannon shells bombarded the Imperial capital's defences. The city glowed emerald as the weapons exploded on its Blaze Luminous Shields that covered significant portions of the city. Auto-turrets appeared from the walls and returned fire to take down incoming missiles. The barrage lasted for almost an hour without real success as Pendragon's powerful automatic defences and study walls held off the assaults with relative ease.

Prince Cassius watched the scene grimly from the _Eowyn_'s bridge.

"Attack!" Squadrons of _Sutherlands_, _Gloucesters_ and _Vincent Wards_ launched from their ships and swarm over Pendragon's defences firing machine guns, cannons and missiles. The defensive towers ringed with alarm and turned their guns and missiles towards the incoming invaders. Bullets and missiles sparked out from the glowing city back at the attackers causing large balls of yellow fire spark as they came.

One tower fired a dozen missiles that completely obliterated an entire squadron of the rebels sending the broken pieces down the city streets. A _Gloucester_ landed on the tower in question and with its bulk crushed the turret then sprayed wide with its machine gun at the turrets beside it. One of the gun turrets turned and open fired but the violet Knightmare blew it up with its grenade launcher. It fired a few rounds and a pair of slash harkens into several others.

"The path is clear!" The _Gloucester_'s pilot shouted waving its golden lance at its comrades. Just as it did, the violet machine's lance arm scattered and exploded. A volley of bullets blasted the machine's upper torso.

A _Vincent Ward_ with a trident-avian sigil similar to that of the Black Knights' on its right shoulder plate appeared with a rifle in the smoke. In its other hand was an MVS double bladed lance gleaming in crimson.

"Sir Byron!" The _Gloucester_'s allies arrived to avenge its comrade only to come under fire by a barrage of bullets.

More _Vincent Ward_s with the Imperial sigil appeared armed with MVSs and rifles.

A blue and white _Vincent_ armed oddly with a _Lancelot_-styled MVS sword led them, waving its blood-red blade at the enemy. The rebel Knightmares turned to the newcomers and the two forces met in a pitched aerial battle.

"Hold them!" The blue _Vincent_ cried out as he sliced a _Sutherland_ through the torso neatly in half and let the two halves fall and explode. A line of rebel _Sutherlands_ and _Vincent Wards_ trained their cannons and rifles and opened fired on the incoming enemy, raining bullets and shells in the skies.

However Lelouch's _Wards_ were part of the Capital's Imperial Guard and were far more battle-ready than the rebels' own machines who were Army standard types and the Imperials suffered only a handful of losses. The _Wards_ then scattered and closed on the line and cut the formation apart with their blood gleaming blades shining in the explosions.

With the Imperial knightmares counter-attack and the automatic defences' covering fire, the rebels suffered great losses decimating their first wave. An Imperial _Ward_ charged out of its formation launched both of its slash harkens, one of the striking a _Sutherland_'s lance out. The other followed and took the blue purple machine's head off.

That was when a light blasted out from the rebel formation. Several red spheres shot out and struck down the Imperial _Wards_ with deadly accuracy. A golden figure appeared in the light and drew out a curved master vibration sword that gleamed violet as the blade activated. The new machine speeded pass the _Wards_ with incredible speed cutting the Imperial machines apart like grass.

An Imperial _Ward_ brought its MVS blade to block a slash from the machine's sword and the sword sliced through the handles and into its wielder. The gold and blue knightmare came to a halt in the sky and opened its golden wings out.

"This is Dorothea Ernst in the _Gaheris_. Surrender and tell me where the pretender is! Do not force us to destroy you!"

"Lelouch is the Emperor now!" The knight in the blue and white _Vincent_ shouted back. "We serve the Imperial throne! It is you who should surrender!"

The _Vincent_ leaped forward and swung its longsword. The _Gaheris_ brought one wing to block the blow and used it to deflect one of the slash harkens that followed and sliced the other one in half.

"Then die in his service then!" The Knight of Four snarled. The gold Knightmare brought its right arm and fired several blasts of Hadron spheres. Lelouch's knight avoided the blasts and lunged forward with a needle blazer. Dorothea moved aside to avoid the lunge and instead launched one of her chest slash harkens that struck the _Vincent_'s the arm knocking off it off clean of the body. Snarling, the knight continued to swing and his sword met Dorothea's. The crimson blade shattered when it met the violet blade.

"My god..." The knight cried out. Before she could finish the _Vincent_ off, a pair of Wards appeared and open fired on the Gaheris forcing Dorothea to fall back to her own forces.

"Push forward!" Dorothea Ernst shouted. "They may have better weapons but we have the numbers! Push forward to the palace and take out the usurper!" The _Gaheris_ raised its violet sword high and let it shine in the sunlight.

"All! Hail! BRITANNIA!"

* * *

_"In the distraction, squads of commandos will infiltrate and disable Pendragon's defences."_

**Inside Pendragon**

"Atlas Team, engaging." The crews flinched as the doors burst opened.

Armoured figures burst in, training their weapons. "In the memory of Charles zi Britannia, surrender!"

"Traitor!" The officer in charge shouted drawing his pistol and was almost immediately shot.

Some of the crewmembers managed to draw their side arms and return fire but the rifles' superior fire power took down them in a matter of seconds. The rest of the crew just raised their hands and surrendered.

A figure with the badge of a lieutenant on his armour entered the room, moving forwards between his braced and aimed men.

"Secure the room!" The officer shouted, his electronic voice echoing the room. "Sergeant, disable the shields and weapon systems!"

"Yes, my lord."

* * *

_"By then, the Armada will deploy ground support which without the automatic and anti-air defences will force Lelouch to use man power instead."_

A great force of VTOL ships swarmed out from behind the battleships and under the cover of the aerial forces fire began to deploy their ground-based Knightmares. Garrison Knightmares, anti-Knightmare tanks and even infantrymen appeared from the buildings and opened fired on the swarm of VTOLs before they could land. The skies literally rained machines as the bullets, missiles and cannon shells shot down the VTOL and their Knightmares with them.

A _Ward_ launched both his slash harkens aimed for a VTOL's wings sending the flying vehicle out of control and crash into a building with its Knightmare still loaded. Suddenly all the However there were too many of them for the defenders to handle and soon hundreds of Sutherlands, Gloucesters and Vincent Wards reached solid ground and charged their targets.

"Bring them down!" An Imperial NCO, a warrant officer by the name of Charmelle Finlay shouted firing in a Vincent Ward's into their attackers. She emptied a burst of rounds into an enemy _Ward_'s chest then fired her grenade launcher into a _Sutherland_ blowing up the 5th Generation into a dozen pieces. The NCO turned her rifle into another enemy unit scattering its head and arms with a volley then dove for cover as a duo of _Sutherlands_ fired a barrage of bullets down her position. Charmelle detached a chaos mine and flung it to their positions blasting them with the mine's shrapnel.

"Damn it, Charmelle! They're all over the place!" A second _Ward_ pulled by her side firing as he came.

"We've got to hold on!" Charmelle replied, spraying a few rounds at a _Gloucester_. "Everyone rally to me!" Two or three more loyalist _Wards_ joined their position near a burning monument built by Princess Guinevere.

"Never really liked that thing much." Charmelle commented. She had been transferred from Area 11 to the Imperial Palace where she had been serving against terrorists when she was to protect a convoy en-route to Pendragon and had garrisoned there when the whole world had turned upside down.

Although she had no idea what the hell was happening in Britannia now, Charmelle was a soldier of the Empire and orders say protect Pendragon. And she was fine with that.

"Bring up the heavy weaponry!"

A loyalist _Ward_ tried to join the rallying point but a stream of bullets caught the Knightmare in its track scattering its chest and cockpit.

_"No good. Gerald's group is already gone! A bunch of Suths jumped on them from behind!"_ A huge chunk of their cover exploded into debris showering the two with dust.

"Yeah, and now they're using the damn cannons on us! Smart bastards!" Charmelle snarled as she launched a grenade round into the direction though the NCO doubted he hit anything.

"Tell me again why we're fighting for Lelouch, Eric?" The other Knightmare pilot laughed._ "Because you thought he was cute?"_

"What? That's not what I said!" The female pilot fired a burst into a position where she thought the cannon fire was coming from. Charmelle had to admit that she did thought the young Emperor was rather attractive but put that thought away as a second shell pounded on her squad's position. "Damn, requesting assistance at Sector B."

_"Since we're going to die anyway, Charmelle...why did you choose to fight for Lelouch?"_ Her companion fired a grenade shell at one of the VTOLs blasting it out of the skies.

"Well, Eric. I thought I'd get to fight for a system where we will gain our ranks based on merit and skill." She searched for the rebels with the cannons with her facesphere.

"I've been a warrant officer for six years! Six bloody years!" Charmelle spotted one and rained a burst of bullets at it. "Whist I watched those morons from the nobility rise up from the ranks because of their influences and wealth!"

The female NCO turned and threw another chaos mine into the position. "I can outdo them in every area! And I had to bow and scrap those useless bastards! Yes, sir! No, sir! Three bloody bags looted, sir!" She was getting angrier and angrier as she spoke.

"More Gloucesters incoming!"

_"You were saying Charmelle?"_ Eric said as he shot a rebel Ward's head clean off with a grenade shell.

"When Lelouch said he's going to change everything...well...come on! It was better than serving those noble-born bastards!"

"Hahaha, I agree! Well, if we're going to die then hell, let's die as commoners!" No sooner than the soldier said it, a golden lance shot out from the smoke and buried itself on the _Ward_'s chest, piercing through the back cockpit.

"Eric!" Charmelle shouted as her comrade's machine exploded. Cannon shells, bullets and slash harkens hammered their position. A cannon fire took the Ward to her left's entire upper half off. The enemy rained down on them with their lances like a savage swarm.

Snarling, the NCO turned drew her MVS blades and joint them into lance mode then launched her slash harkens at a lunging _Ward_'s chest and arm.

The disarmed Knightmare tried to slash with its MVS but Charmelle dodged the swing and with her own master vibration lance sliced the bastard in half. She then side-stepped a _Gloucester_'s lance thrust and sliced through the purple machine's torso throwing the upper portion flying.

A second lancer this one a _Sutherland_ charged. Charmelle scoffed at the pilot's attempt and slashed, the crimson blade of the MVS cut neatly across the metallic hands and the lance shaft it was gripping.

Turning her _Ward_ around, Charmelle thrust her lower blade into the _Sutherland_'s chest. A _Gloucester_ charged in stabbing its jousting lance forward which the NCO barely managed to parry with the tip of her own MVS double lance. Charmelle slashed and the _Gloucester_ blocked back with its lance then launched its slash harkens.

The warrant officer brought her MVS slashing the first harken but the second one struck her full in the chest pushing her back. The _Gloucester_ took the chance and lunged forward with its lance to bring the final blow.

With a growl, Charmelle kicked the lance away and launched both her slash harkens at close range into 5th Generation Knightmare's groin.

The purple machine recoiled as if it was a man and with a roar Charmelle split the knightmare in vertical halves. Letting the broken machines explode, Charmelle narrowly made her way through the vicious fighting. Imperial forces, in the mist of preventing more VTOLs from landing and engaging those that have landed were starting to be overwhelmed.

All around her were rebels, rebels and rebels with the only Imperials dead or dying.

* * *

**Palace War Room**

"Your Majesty, the rebels have begun their attack." They watched the video screens as the swarms of green dots of the rebel forces swarm over the map of Pendragon's outposts, towers and other structures. Pendragon's powerful automated defences and the Capital's garrison were holding on their own against the larger numbers.

"What did Lord Weinburg say the enemy forces consisted of?" The Knight of Three had drawn out a list of Army units on another screen. "Well, firstly Prince Cassius rallied almost the entire Northern Army and Campbell has got the 90th Corps and some militia forces. Lord Somerset has taken controlled the 3rd Fleet and is transporting them."

"The second force is under the Arch-Duke of Canada. They've got the 205th Division and Imperial Vanguard as well. So that's at least..." "220,000 troops and 200 ships from both sides all together." Lelouch finished for him. "Our own forces consist of the Imperial Guard that protects the city as well as my own personal guard. So that leaves us with about 20,000 men and Knightmares and about fifty strong ships."

The Emperor chuckled to himself lightly.

"Nevertheless, we do not need to fight both sides at once. Tell Sir Hunter to pull back his men into the Palace's perimeter. The rebels want the city intact as they only want my head. Send out Sir Arthur's forces to delay the southern advance."

Lelouch took a good look at the battle-plan. Gino grimaced when he saw the red dots overwhelming the blue ones of the Imperial forces.

"Lelouch! They're penetrating through our defences. At this rate, they'll swarm over the Palace and cut off your head."

"They won't get an inch near the Palace." Lelouch assured him.

"Gino, this is a battle of attrition." The Knight of Three's eyes had widened in shock. "Attrition? They outnumber you ten to one!" The young Emperor smiled. "Numbers do not win a battle."

An officer appeared on a screen.

"Your Majesty, the rebels have broken our first defensive lines!"

* * *

_"Lelouch's forces do not have the numbers to defend the capital so he will be forced to withdraw to the palace."_

Colonel Sir Hunter L. Leveque, commander of the Imperial Guard's Second Division snarled impatiently as his Vincent's arm and slash harkens were being replaced at the Armoury.

The loyalist officer watched the IFF screen where the blue dots of the Imperial forces were being forced back into Pendragon's interior.

The outer walls and the city's districts were overwhelmed with rebel knightmares and their fleet constantly pounded on its defences. Some of the Guard units, including officers and men like him who had but months before transferred from the former Area 11 had all but slaughtered and wiped out.

While Hunter would like to proudly say that they had died fighting against great odds and had taken down more of their enemies, they were losing far too many and far too fast. Leveque had been a soldier for the past eight years and while he was had gained risen through the ranks thanks to the politics of family, the twenty-eight year old was never shy from combat. Thanks to his sharp perceptions and quick thinking Hunter had become a personal guard and agent for the House of Lords. When he led his charge, an arrogant duke back to Pendragon, Lelouch took over.

"Sir Hunter, repairs have completed. You may launch."

"Right. Hunter L. Leveque, launching!" He lowered his blue and white Vincent landspinners and gunned out of the hanger. Outside, the skies were littered with explosions and raining of bullets. Hunter pushed to full speed activating his Float System and lunged into the skies. The Guard commander launched one of his replaced slash harkens into a random _Gloucester_ knocking it off its flight path.

"Captain," Hunter called to his second. "What is the situation?"

"The rebels are pushing on! We can't hold them. Not with the Knights of the Round leading them! What the...agrah!" He opened his facespheres and scanned the area. A white and purple heavily customised _Gloucester_ leapt out from one of the Logres and literally landed on a _Vincent_ Commander Model with the Imperial sigil sending it down on top of a building.

Letting it cushion its landing, the strange Gloucester brought out its jousting lance. The _Vincent_ launched its slash harkens to ward off its attacker and slashed with its own MVS double lance. However, its white and purple opponent parried its first slash and with a swing smashed the MVS lance out of its hand.

Hunter turned away not wanting to see another perish. The rebels have already broken through their defences. He had been the first man to swear loyalty to Lelouch. And what that will cost him he did not know.

The Guard commander launched his slash harkens to a Sutherland armed with a lance sending it haplessly hurling back. The silver lance fell and Hunter caught it then threw it like a javelin into a _Gloucester_ with a rifle. The lance buried itself on the purple machine's chest and dropped its rifle. Grabbing the rifle, Hunter used it to fire on their advancing enemies. "Everyone fall back! Fall back to the Palace!" &&&

* * *

_"At this time, the second fleet will attack Pendragon from the south."_

**In the _Eowyn_**

Prince Cassius knew that the enemy was outmatched. They had a larger army not to mention the Knights of the Round on their side and the Duke of Canada's forces were to attack from the rear of Pendragon and despite the capital's magnificent defences, even it could not stand against the might of the Britannian Armed Forces. They were surrounded. And who was commanding them, a pathetic half-blood commoner who should have stayed dead. The nerve!

Cassius drank down some of his finest wine to wash away the disgust that he felt in his mouth.

The first phase of the siege was to distract Pendragon's defences in a massive attack. That way the defenders would concentrate on defending themselves. The second phase was the Blaze Luminous Shields Generators that protected much of Pendragon's entrances and other strategic locations that would lead to the palace.

There were still men loyal to Charles zi Britannia in Pendragon and with their aid and teams of Britannian Special Forces, the main generators would be destroyed and turn Pendragon's defences on the defenders.

Once the shields are gone, Cassius's and Canada's forces would launch full attack on the palace and catch them between them. Despite Pendragon's powerful defences, there were far too few of the defenders to man them and that gave him the advantage...

Even now the shields and defences had fallen and their forces were swarming over Pendragon.

Despite their loyalty, Cassius had to admire the courage and determination of Lelouch's forces, which refused to give up every inch even as fire and death rained down from the _Logres_ and the rest of the fleet.

That's what Britannians are all about. Once the half-breed's head is on a stake, perhaps it was time to root out all the impurity in their veins. One true Britannia. One true PURE Britannia.

He liked the sound of that.

* * *

**Outside of the Imperial Palace**

"Here they come..." Gino said watching the mass of purple shapes flying over the city skies. The blond knight fell in thought for a moment. Was this the right thing to do?

To side with a random prince who claimed to change Britannia? After all, Gino had sworn loyalty along with the other Knights of the Round to the Emperor. After all, he is a knight of Britannia. Is that what he should be fighting for?

To avenge Charles zi Britannia? Or is it to serve the throne and whoever was on it? The other Knights of the Round...well the surviving ones anyway were now with the rebel forces to overthrow Lelouch.

Lelouch...Gino scoffed.

Who would have thought that the Ashford's Student Council Vice President would be a prince of royal blood? And to be the son of Lady Marianne! Gino had heard of Marianne vi Britannia, of course, one of the greatest knights to have ever lived who eventually became the Empress at Charles zi Britannia's side until her death. He had admired her as everyone else did and though he knew that due to her background as a commoner she was a target of many enemies. That was what Gino hated about Britannia. He remembered clearly of how he was forbidden to even touch the commoners.

Of course, he didn't care much about that and that's actually one of the reasons why he ran away from home.

Gino did not want to let his life determined by others. He had a bright future as heir to such a prestigious family but Gino wanted his future to be gained through his own efforts. And that was how he became a Knight of the Round. Lelouch having lost his mother and sister at such a young age had every reason to hate Britannia.

Hell, who knows how long he had been planning for this! Gino shrugged. He was a knight of Britannia. What he was to do was to serve the throne. Nothing more.

If he was going to die now... Well that means he won't have to worry about what'll happen later!

* * *

_"It's called the hammer and anvil tactic." Todoh explained. "And Lelouch is trapped."_

"Your Majesty, we're being hailed by the _Eowyn_."

"Hmm...Patch it through."

_"Lelouch! This is Cassius. You are outnumbered and surrounded. Make it easy on yourself, my dear bastard of a brother. If you do we will spare you the humiliation of public execution."_

Lelouch chuckled.

"So let me understand my situation, brother...Your forces have taken the outer city."

* * *

Charmelle jumped on a _Vincent_ Commander model and thrust down her MVS into the knightmare's cockpit before the more potent machine could do anything. She swung the lances around and beheaded a _Gloucester_ then spinning it back thrust the back end into its chest. With a snarl, Charmelle pulled it back out and used it to slash the firing slash harken but a second Gloucester came in with a lance and thrust.

While it missed her, the golden lance tore through the MVS handle and Charmelle's _Ward_'s fingers as well. Snarling the warrant officer activated her stun tonfa and smashed it down on the _Gloucester_'s back bringing it to the ground. She struck it again into to cockpit to finish off the pilot. She activated her other stun tonfa and turned about. Blood poured down her head but the red-haired woman had no time to think about that as she avoided a barrage of rifle fire from a _Gloucester_ and a squad of _Sutherland_.

"Dragoons!" Charmelle shouted to what remained of the defenders. The lancers were coming on to them. One of the Dragoon _Wards_ fired his rifle in full automatic against them. It managed to blast one of the lancers but a _Sutherland_'s lance thrust knocked the rifle out. The _Ward_ brought out its stun tonfa then pummelled the old model.

However, a _Gloucester_ lunged and caught the _Ward_ in the back with its lance. As the Imperial knightmare recoil from the blow, two more lancers: one _Sutherland_ and another _Gloucester_ thrust in their lances skewering the Ward.

"No!" Charmelle shouted as one of her comrade fell. She banked left and right to dodge the barrage that was bearing down on her. She closed in on the _Gloucester_ and leapt. Licking the blood around her mouth, Charmelle screamed a battle-cry and brought down both of her tonfas on the knightmare smashing it to the ground. The warrant officer quickly leapt again and smashed one tonfa against the rifle of one _Sutherland_ and brought the other tonfa around to smash its head. She side-stepped two slash harkens from a pair then dove in smashing both of them. The NCO brought a round-house kick into another _Sutherland_ then launched both of her slash harkens into the last one. One _Sutherland_ lunged at her with its stun tonfa and managed to land a blow on the outnumbered Ward right on to the cockpit.

Charmelle's head struck against her controls from the blow, dazing her for a second. When the Sutherland moved in for the final blow, the NCO quickly recovered and threw a punch against the machine knocking it off its feet. Spitting out the blood, Charmelle glared at the new wave of rebels.

"If I'm going down...YOU'RE GOIND DOWN WITH ME!" She charged her _Ward_ down dodging all the gun fire and slash harkens. A silver spinning lance suddenly hurled towards her screen and only a jerk of her controls managed to avoid it. Charmelle lunged at the _Ward_ that fired a grenade at her. Banking left, she leapt up then smashed one of her stun tonfas down on the enemy Ward's rifle then brought her other tonfa down crushing its head.

* * *

_"The Imperial Guard have been torn up thanks to the fact that my defences have been hacked into letting your forces in, pushing the remaining forces I have left to the palace."_

Dorothea Ernst smashed one wing into a slashing MVS of a _Ward_ then brought her sword to sever the _Ward_ in half. The Knight of Four brought the purple blade around and slash open the chest of the _Ward_.

As the blue-purple knightmare exploded, Dorothea shouted to her units. "Forward! They're pulling back."

* * *

"And there is a second fleet attacking from the rear where there is almost nothing standing between them and the palace."

"Fire all cannons! Full attack!" Canada shouted.

* * *

"Now I am in the middle of your hammer and anvil..."

"That is correct, brother. What is your answer?"

The young Emperor grinned, his violet eyes narrowed.

**"Very well. I shall attack!" **

* * *

Dorothea Ernst had been a knight for almost all her adult life and was rarely startled by anything. They had broken through their centre.

Whatever unit, knightmare or ship between them and the palace was gone. Lelouch was surrounded and thus the only thing he can do was to hold on to the palace against them. While it'll be a long battle to get past it, they will ultimately infiltrate it and destroy Lelouch! That was why it was so maddening when a volley of crimson and black beams blast out from the palace.

The volley hit the rebels hard striking down dozens of their knightmares. Dorothea herself had to close her wings to activate her shields against the blasts. When the hadron beams finally faded away, the Knight of Four glared into the open and gasped in surprise.

"What the..."

* * *

"My god..."

"What's he doing?" Xingke muttered.

"This defies logic!" Cassius blurted.

"YEE HAAAA!" The _Tristan_ shot out of the hanger in fortress mode followed by a dozen black and gold _Vincents_ of the Royal Guard. Behind the _Vincents_ were _Gareths_ in the same colour scheme. They fired their hadron cannons and missiles as they came. The white, gold and blue knightmare hybrid lowered one of its oversize slash harkens and launched it.

The cobalt harken lanced and pierced through the torso of a _Vincent Ward_ and ploughed its way through the ranks of rebel knightmares. The enemy returned fire with their missiles, cannon and rifles.

"Oh come on, boys! I thought you should know better!" Gino jeered as he bank left and right dodging the attacks as easily as he had done in his trainings. A full flight of _Sutherlands_ attacked him by charging from different angles. Gino grinned and pulled his machine to full speed towards them.

The first _Sutherland_ drew its lance back to thrust. Gino launched both his slash harkens and knock both its arms off. As he did, he quickly transformed back to knightmare mode and used his speed to deliver a powerful kick sending the armless machine haplessly into another _Sutherland_. The _Tristan_ brought both its slash harkens around and used them to destroy the Float Systems of two _Sutherlands_.

As the harkens returned, Gino drew his master vibration pole-axes and joint them together.

The remaining _Sutherlands_ closed on to him.

"Come on, I'll take you all with my hands tied!" With a twirl of his pole-arms, Gino slashed. The crimson MVS axe met the silver lance with a shower of sparks parrying the thrust and pulled the lower axe around slashing through the _Sutherland_'s torso. Laughing, the blond knight parried the other lance thrusts at ease and returning with slashes.

A _Gloucester_ appeared behind the _Sutherlands_ and lunged with its golden lance which Gino hooked with one of his axes and sent the purple machine hurling back...right into the arms of a black and gold _Vincent_ which with its MVS lance severed the _Gloucester_ in two.

Around Gino, the royal guard _Vincents_ under the cover of the _Gareths_ fanned out and engaged the enemy forces charging in with almost reckless abandon. Their officers wielding MVS longswords much like the ones Suzaku uses, led the guard almost zealously slashing and blasting with their needle blazers through their enemies.

"All hail Lelouch!" One ebony _Vincent_ shouted, parrying and slashing through the mass of lances then with both hands gripped brought one of the MVS double lance down on a _Gloucester_'s lance block with such a force that the crimson vibroblades cut through it.

Drawing its needle blazer, the royal guard blasted a hole through it. Another Guard _Vincent_ grabbed a lunging lance and hurled it back against its wielder, thrusting it again and again until it pierced through the cockpit system.

"Whoo...these boys know how to fight." Gino commented as he kicked a _Ward_ in the face before destroying it with a single slash.

"_Weinburg_!" A female voice roared towards him. A gold and blue knightmare came in firing its arm mount hadron blaster. While Gino managed to dodge the blasts, the crimson spheres struck two of the royal guards near him tearing the ebony _Vincents_ apart.

The golden knightmare's wings opened up and slashed down with its violet sword which would have severed Gino in two if the _Tristan_ had any other knightmare. The Knight of Three then avoided a second slash and a thrust and he retaliated by launching his right arm slash harken. The Knight of Four blocked the attack with her wing and fired more hadron blasts.

"Hello Dorothea. Fancy meeting you here." Gino greeted wryly.

"What the hell do you think you are doing, Weinburg?" The dark-skinned knight snarled. "Why serving Britannia, of course!" The Knight of Three replied slashing with his pole-axe. The other knight blocked the double slashes then swung with her wing and thrust. "We serve the Emperor! We can't serve this half-breed!"

"Hey, you're the one who told me that we knights have to serve the Imperial throne! I'm just obeying orders." The blond knight fired his auto-cannons which the _Gaheris_ easily avoided.

"Don't be a fool. After all these years, how could you believe that pretender's words? And look at your situation. Are you really going to fight and die for him?"

Gino chuckled. "Well, I think you see my true colours now. Let's dance!" &&&

* * *

**On board the Eowyn**

Though startled, Cassius quickly calmed himself down.

"So the cornered dog had finally decided to bite back?" The fourth prince scoffed. His forces had taken half the city and the remnants of Lelouch's forces were being forced back towards the palace. Ground units under Lady Nonette had pushed into the city's interior while the aerial forces under Lady Ernst were engaging the royal guard and that renegade knight.

"Bring out ships around and fan out on the flanks. We'll surround the palace and the royal guard!"

* * *

Nonette Enneagram pulled out her modified _Gloucester_'s lance from a _Ward_'s chest and let it explode.

"Wow," The Knight of Nine whistled. "This battle is getting really hot." Lelouch's ground forces were forming a defensive line near the palace walls where more automated defences were firing.

Nonette pulled herself to a group of _Wards_ that were busy engaging a squad of _Sutherlands_. One of them saw her advance and turned his rifle towards her. The Knight of Nine activated her blaze luminous shield letting the bullets fall harmlessly on the energy shield. Lowering her lance, Nonette charged head on and ran the _Ward_ through.

As she let the knightmare explode, another _Ward_ attacked her with its MVS double lance. She let the lance slash across her shield then punched the _Ward_ in the face then kicked it in the chest.

Nonette then gave her lance a broad swing to clear the _Wards_ around then launched her slash harkens at one of them sending it flying in the air where a barrage of bullets took it down. She then saw a battered _Ward_ armed with its stun tonfas holding itself against an entire platoon.

"Oh, you're a feisty one. I think I'll like to meet you." Nonette was heading towards the knightmare when the sky suddenly darkened.

* * *

"Sir! It's...it's the _Avalon_!"

"What?" Dorothea muttered as she crossed blades with Gino, sparks showering from the contact between the two vibroblades. Flanked by two Logres, the orange and white air-cruiser appeared hovering over the palace. They were surrounded by a dozen or so of Caerleon-class ships.

_"This is Emperor Lelouch. All ships open fire on the rebel fleet! Blast them to dust!"_ The fleet suddenly exploded with barrages missile and cannon shells raining down on anything between the two fleets.

"Where the hell did that fleet come from?"

"It...It just appeared out of nowhere!" One of the crewmembers mumbled. "Our shields are down to 60%!"

Prince Cassius snorted. "So he's finally appeared in person. Return fire. Aim for the Avalon!"

"But your highness, at this angel, we'll hit our own forces that are already engaging them..."

"It doesn't matter. Lelouch is the key. Our objective is to kill Lelouch!" The officer stared at him then shook his head and obeyed.

* * *

Dorothea and Gino clashed blades again.

"You're losing your touch, Dorothea." Gino mocked playfully. "I won't be talked down by the likes of you!" The woman snarled and fired her slash harkens which the other knight blocked with his larger slash harken. Gino grinned and spinning his poleaxes slash forward. The golden knightmare blocked the blades with her sword then fired her hadron blasters at close range.

However, the _Tristan_ managed to narrowly avoid the blasts.

"Almost got me." The Knight of Three returned the attack with his slash harken. The _Gaheris_ parried the blue harken with its sword then like an angered griffin its wings spread out and charged forward. Gino turned to meet the attack and brought one of his master vibration pole axes down in a vertical swipe. The crimson blade met the golden knightmare's left wing in a shower of sparks then Dorothea used the blow to twist around and slashed her sword down on the Tristan's exposed back.

"Oh no you don't!" Gino brought his rear pole-axe to block but the sword came in full force and scattered the axe's head. Dorothea grinned at the younger knight.

"You forget, boy. This sword was made from the same material from the _Excalibur_. It can scatter your pathetic MVS blades like glass."

The blond knight barked a laugh. "Ha! I'll remember that." He transformed into fortress mode, flying away only to swing around and launched his slash harkens. The _Gaheris_ evaded one slash harken then parried away the other one with her sword.

Before she could move, a black and gold _Gareth_ appeared in front of the _Tristan_ and fired its hadron cannon.

Although surprised, Dorothea quickly recovered and blocked the entire blast with her sword, the violet blade glowing bright amethyst as the crimson beam split in two halves. Its wings glowing, the golden knightmare flashed forward bringing the curved sword in both hands.

"Whoa! It is like the _Excalibur_. What do you call it?" Gino mocked as he changed his course.

"You only need to know that you'll die upon it!" Dorothea snarled, charging with her sword angled. The royal guard was not fast enough and the Knight of Four quickly thrust its blade into the _Gareth_'s chest before pulling it out to chase after him. The air above her exploded suddenly.

At first, thinking that it was an attack by a royal guard the dark skinned knight activated her wings' shields but soon it seems the sky all around her was exploding with cannon shells and missiles.

They struck both royal guard and rebel forces without discrimination. "My god, now what?" Dorothea turned her cameras around and with horror saw that the barrage was fired by their own forces!

"What the hell is he doing!"

* * *

"My prince, Lady Dorothea urges to cease fire! You're destroying more of our own forces than the enemy are!"

"The _Avalon_ is right there! Plain in sight! Continue firing before it gets away!"

"Sire!" The Knight of Four roared. "Highness, this is Dorothea Ernst. Stop firing! Your men are dying here!" "Lelouch must die! If he dies, it's all over! Their deaths won't be in vain. Britannia has more men to replace them! Just destroy that ship!"

* * *

Dorothea could not believe what she had heard. They were just expandable?

She had followed Bismarck's teachings of what a knight of Britannia should do and what she now saw with her own eyes was completely against her teachings...what has she gotten herself into?

"Well...well, looks like I made the right choice." Gino's irritating voice sneered, launching a slash harken at her.

"Shut up!" Dorothea shouted firing bursts of her hadron blasters and launched her slash harkens at the hybrid knightmare that swept past unharmed before returning with a torrent of machine gun fire. The _Tristan_ then turned back to knightmare mode and hurled his scattered pole-axe at the golden knightmare.

Dorothea sent the ruined weapon flying away with a swipe of her wing but as she did, the Knight of Three combined both of his slash harkens into the electromagnetic rail cannon and fired. The _Gaheris_ met the bluish purple beam with her wings closed absorbing most of the damage in a blinding light.

A trio of royal guard _Gareths_ joined him and added their hadron cannons into the mix. The combine blast was too powerful for her shields and in a blinding blast of light, Dorothea was sent hurling back out of control. A cannon shell exploded behind the golden knightmare then a second blast hit it from the front. Gino flinched as his adversary disappeared into the smoke being caught in the crossfire between the two fleets. The Knight of Three himself narrowly escaped the attacks himself although he was shocked to see that the _Avalon_ with Lelouch inside was taking all the pounding on its own.

"Hey, Lelouch!" He called, launching a slash harken into the torso of a _Ward_, piercing its chest and detonating it at once. "You do know that you're taking the pounding from the entire rebel fleet?"

The Emperor's calm voice replied. _"Yes, I am aware of it, Gino."_

A rebel _Vincent_ Commander lunged forward with its needle blazer at the _Tristan_ which easily evaded the blast and brought around its only half master vibration pole axe to match against the _Vincent_'s own lance.

"Then you know you'll be lucky to last ten minutes."

"It's less than that actually." Deflecting its slashes and thrusts, Gino launched one of his slash harken at the commander model. The _Vincent_ tried to catch the harken though it did by chipping off a few fingers, while it did Gino pushed forward and buried the pole axe into the knightmare's face. As the _Vincent_ exploded, Gino took its double master vibration lance to deflect a _Gloucester_'s lance thrust.

"So what are you waiting for?" As he chopped the enemy knightmare in half, the blond knight saw the answer for himself.

* * *

"Your Highness, we've lost signals from some of our reserve forces."

"Never mind that focus all your fire on the _Avalon_!" Cassius almost roared. "It's going to fall soon."

"Milord!" The captain snapped. "They're entire squadrons! Not a few knightmares..."

"Sir! Our rear guard...our entire rear guard has been destroyed!"

"What? The rest of Lelouch's fleet is behind us? How...how did they get there?"

One of the crewmembers froze. "Sir...it's only one unit. Oh my god, it's...it's...it's the...!"

* * *

The white and gold knightmare shot out from out of nowhere and before anyone could even move, a barrage of green beams landed on them striking them down leaving the sky filled with explosions.

"What is that thing?" A group of _Sutherlands_ and _Gloucesters_ lowered their weapons and began firing but the newcomer easily evaded the missiles, bullets and cannon shells with a speed that one could barely see. Just as they had fired, soon the group of knightmares suddenly exploded and were already in pieces.

"Sir! It just took out the entire 3rd squadron!" "Get all units to target the thing!" By now it was obvious that this machine had already out-classed even the _Lancelot_. A flight of _Wards_ formed up and began showering bullets on the machine but their bullets scattered around the green light.

The machine brought both of hands up in a blur of movement and launched all four slash harkens at the _Wards_ striking all their yggdrasil drives with deadly accuracy. A _Vincent_ commander raised its master vibration lance and charged down to meet the coming knightmare.

"Oh my god...it's the Lancelot!"

The new Lancelot turned its emerald eyes towards the charging enemy and drew its own sword. The silver and purple knightmare closed in and saw how different this new machine was. It was far more armoured than the old one and had glowing green energy wings that one could have sworn only seen in science fiction stories. Regardless, the _Vincent_ continued his flight and bravely attacked the _Lancelot_...and died as the red master vibration blade cut through his chest and torso.

"You should have just turned away." Suzaku said, wearily. He held his old Knight of Honour's badge in his hands remembering the woman he loved and her cheerful face.

"I will create the world you want." The Knight of Zero proclaimed then pinned the badge on his chest. With that the Lancelot Albion's glowing emerald wings burst into life and shot out into the carnage. He shot right through an entire squadron slashing and hacking anything in his way.

Two _Wards_ turned to face him but Suzaku was already on them before they could fire. He swept pass them in a blur of light, beheading them and hacking their limbs off. A _Gloucester_ lunged with its lance and the Japanese knight easily evaded the thrust and cut the machine in two.

He cut through a _Sutherland_'s lance and body with a single stroke and launched two harkens into another duo scattering their chest armour and torsos. Two _Wards_ charged down with their master vibration lances attempting to surround him. Suzaku parried the first thrust and turned the blade heading into its comrade's chest. The pilot grunted in pain as the blade had actually pierced through his chest

. The Japanese knight then turned and sliced off the hand of the surprised _Ward_ then slashed up, taking off its entire upper body.

A _Vincent_ commander lunged forward at this moment with his needle blazer, hoping to take advantage of the disruption but Suzaku grabbed the blazer with a single swipe and broke the elbow joint with a twist of his hands.

With a judo throw, the Japanese knight sent the _Vincent_ hurling back into the swarm of rebel knightmares.

Sheathing his sword, Suzaku drew his VARIS rifles and activating his energy wings and pressed the trigger sending barrages of energy beams into the swarming knightmares and lit the entire sky with lights and fire.

* * *

**On board the _Avalon_**

"Well, our boy has done it again!" Lloyd exclaimed, cheerfully.

"The Lancelot Albion the second 9th Generation knightmare in the world." The scientist watched the upgraded Lancelot's statistics as the white and gold knightmare wrecked havoc on the enemy lines.

"And he's only using 60% of its capability!" Lloyd marvelled.

"It seems the Energy Wing system seems to be working quite well." Cecile added.

Lelouch sat down on command chair and nodded. He glimpsed the individual cannon turrets and missiles that were being reloaded and launched, reloaded and launched from the _Avalon_.

The Emperor watched his royal guard, bravely if not zealously defending the ship and engaging the enemy. His guard officers all distinguished from the rest by wielding master vibration long swords rather than the double lances fanned them out as he had instructed. The flagship's blaze luminous shields glowed each time a cannon shell or a missile struck it and more than once royal guards would intercept a missile heading towards the bridge even sacrificing themselves to prevent the damage. The _Indomitable_ had already taken heavy damage and more than half of the _Caerleon_-classes were down. One of the light _Avalons_ half burning drove itself on to a rebel _Logres_ in a suicidal attack.

Lelouch was surprised that a number of these soldiers who he had not Geassed had put their lives on the line for the new emperor that they barely know. He did not understand why they were so willing to do so but he nevertheless would make sure their deaths were not in vain. He watched the rebel fleet drawing closer and closer to the palace. Ships at the rear were beginning to spread out to add their fire onto the _Avalon_ and her escorts. The fools. Lelouch knew that his arrogant blood thirsty brother had him surrounded and was bringing the entire army to kill him. There was no escape and he was cut off. Just like old times. That was why Lelouch knew he was going to win.

"This is Emperor Lelouch to all ships. Bring all power to the shields begin advancing."

* * *

"This is madness." The commando lieutenant commented, watching as the small groups of black and purple figures attacking the monstrously larger force. "That half-breed has no sense at all. He'll be torn to pieces."

"Genius is often mistaken for madness, sir." A voice spoke from behind. The rebel officer turned and faced the barrel of a pistol held by a young warrant officer with short brown hair.

"Sorry, Lieutenant." The young man grinned. "Traitor outside, loyalist inside." The commandos all removed their masks and helmets revealing all different faces from those the officer had just seen before the mission.

"This is Warrant Officer Zectole Vignal." The young man spoke into his com-link. "Defensives have been retaken, majesty."

* * *

"Your Majesty, this is Alastair. All of our ground forces have reached palace interior."

"Very well." Lelouch nodded. He turned to his chess table. "With this I call check." He dropped his knight just near the king. &&&

* * *

The world suddenly trembled as the two combatants were desperately trying to kill each other. Charmelle didn't know what exactly happened. One moment, a Knight of the Round suddenly attacked what remained of her squad slaughtering them at ease and when it was her turn to fight the ground shook.

"An earthquake?" She wondered but her scanners were showing no such thing. It was not coming from the ground she belatedly realised. She turned her damaged remaining facesphere up and cursed.

The sky rained of concrete and metal. The armoured statue of Henry IX that Charmelle's group was fighting near exploded and its pieces rained down on the waves of rebel knightmares.

The customised Gloucester pulled a halt to avoid getting crushed by a boulder. The warrant officer took the advantage and launched her slash harkens able to knock the machine's head off and sending it reeling back.

With that Charmelle pulled close back towards the palace and had the pleasure...or the horror to see the fate of her enemies. No wonder the Emperor ordered almost everything to be taken away from the city.

Everything...Pendragon, the shinning jewel of the Britannian Empire collapsed...just collapsed like as if time had suddenly fast forwarded though for certain portions of the city. All the major roads, squares and defensibly building occupied by rebel forces...they fell apart in a matter of minutes and taking those occupied with them.

On her IFF screen, the red ranks of the rebel forces were almost completely washed way from the map...

* * *

Nonette managed to survive the explosions when that feisty little _Ward_ knocked her with its slash harkens into a building where it shielded the Knight of Nine from the shockwave and debris that rained down on the rebel forces. Once the surviving rebels had tried to rise up, the _Lancelot Albion_ in its great gold and white armour and glowing cyan wings flew up and swept down on them like a bird on its hapless prey, blasting and tearing anyone apart. The green energy beams blanketed the ground and Nonette herself was barely able to avoid the blasts.

Flights of air knightmares chased the _Albion_ before it destroys the entire army but the white and gold 9th generation knightmare wheeled about and targeted them instead. At that same moment, the loyalist forces began to swarm out of the palace to take advantage of their enemies' demise.

Despite losing most of their ground forces, the rebel forces still outnumbered their loyalist foes but this time Lelouch's forces were fighting them on even grounds now.

But the Emperor wasn't done yet. "Commander, commence Phase 4."

* * *

Canada had never even considered that the tiny group of Imperial Guard ships that faced him a threat. It was just a mere bug that would be swatted away in a few seconds. The head _Logres_ and other capital ships were spearheading the attack and the Arch-Duke ordered the other ships to face the small enemy fleet that was there. What surprised him was that they did not head towards them. Instead they flew right around the rebel fleet without firing a single shot.

"Sir, they're just moving away." Canada took this as a good sign.

"They must be thinking twice of their loyalty now. Let them pass. They're not important." They had about five Logres and a dozen of light Avalons which was about a third of the rebel fleet and that they do not need to fight them made sure Canada can focus all his power on Lelouch and his royal guard.

It was then to the shock of his life when his ship the _Endeavour_ suddenly rock from a huge impact.

"Sir! We're under attack!"

"What the hell?" The noble got up from his chair."Where did that shot come from?"

The aide turned to the computer. "From the Imperial Guard!"

"So they're gonna fight after all? Very well. If they want to die then so be it." The fleet began to turn when five of its escort light cruisers blossomed in fire. The ships returned fire to the small Imperial ships but it was pale in comparison to the fire on their ships.

"What the devil is this? We outgun them in every way! Those ships don't have the power to fire on us like this!"

"Sir! Our shields are down to 60%!" Canada personal went to the computer to zoom in on their attackers. "What the hell are they attacking us with?" The noble watched and recoiled in shock.

"By the Gods..." The Arch-Duke was correct. The Imperials were outnumbered and out gunned. And their ships did not have the fire power. But the shots were not just from the ships alone. He managed to zoom into one of the turrets. It wasn't a turret at all. It was an old ancient M1-Longbow Battle Tank. Its shock cannon contained more firepower than any gun the Imperial Armada possessed.

Despite its power, the tank had never been set on ground combat as it was considered far too slow to engage on ground combat.

Well...it wasn't on the ground anymore! The Imperial ships took a beating but not as much as what those tanks were doing to the rebel fleet.

* * *

At the rear of the rebel forces, the _Lancelot Albion_ wrecked havoc on the rear ships despite the gallant attempts by the rebel knightmares to intercept it. Suzaku flew in between each cruiser firing energy beams and VARIS fire as he went. Rebel knightmares appeared from all directions attacking him with their rifles, lances, needle-blazers, master vibration swords and grenades but they were severely out-classed. The Japanese knight dove past an entire battle group of Caerleon and left them crashing down with fire on their float systems. He tried his best not to destroy the ships.

Even after everything, Suzaku would not become like Lelouch. An entire flight of Sutherlands were blasted out of the sky by a single volley from his energy beams.

A _Gloucester_ charged down from above with a lance but Suzaku brought his VARIS up and with a single shot turned the machine into a fire ball. A line of _Vincent Wards_ led by a _Vincent_ Commander Model came at Suzaku as the Japanese knight was trying to destroy the engine of the rear commanding _Logres_. Half of them were wielding large cannons and opened fire as soon as he locked on to them.

Cannon shells exploded around him and while they dealt more damage than an average rifle or its grenade launcher the _Albion_'s power managed to hold them off. He blocked some with his shields and dodged the others and as Suzaku fired a final shot at the _Logres_ detonating the engine.

The swordsmen dove in under the covering fire and brandishing their master vibration double lances, the _Wards_ attacked. Suzaku brought one of his VARIS up and fired several rounds taking down two but the third went wide and they closed in. Exchanging a rifle for one of his master vibration sword, the Japanese knight dodged a thrust from a _Ward_ and slashed, the red blade cut through metal and flesh as neatly as through butter.

The Knight of Zero brought his blade up to block a second slash that came crashing down. He slanted the sword and let the other blade slide down. Then he spun and slashed cutting the purple knightmare's chest open. As he flew pass the exploding frames, Suzaku lowered his sword and then launched his right arm slash harken taking a _Ward_'s head off.

Letting the harken returned, the _Albion_ thrust his sword into the head of another Vincent Ward. Two more _Wards_ came and he evaded another cannon blast and banked left to avoid two slash harkens.

"_Suzaku_." Lelouch's voice echoed into his earpiece.

"Majesty," Suzaku replied, firing with left VARIS and destroying one of the _Wards_. The second one retreated back still unleashing his barrage.

_"We have launched all attacks. We need you to smash the enemy rear."_

The Japanese knight grunted as a grenade exploded on his blaze-luminous shield. As if his statement had been heard, more squadrons of enemy knightmares appeared. At their head, a group of knightmares in dark green and red trimmings led them. They were all _Vincents_ and _Gareths_ which was commonly rare in most Britannian armies.

"Prince Cassius' royal guard." Suzaku murmured.

Just as he did, a volley of hadron beams shot out at him. He banked left and right avoiding most of them and blocked the last of them with his shields. A barrage of missiles, followed by cannon and shot followed engulfing much of the skies around him with fire and lead. Suzaku withdrew his master vibration sword and brought both his VARIS out and returned fire. He managed to take out one but the heavy enemy fire forced him to shift about and displace constantly.

They were truly the elite as their rate of fire was amazing and their numbers certainly helped. The enemy royal guard Gareths fired a second volley and the line of crimson beams converged around him. The Japanese knight had to quickly activate his shields. The blaze luminous shields managed to absorbed most of it but the combine blast sent him hurling back.

"Agrah!"

_"Suzaku! Are you alright?"_ Lelouch's voice returned.

"They're putting up quite a fight." Suzaku replied, snidely.

_"Might I remind you that we need you to succeed in this fight?"_

Suzaku nodded. "For the sake of the Zero Requiem."

**"Then I command you: To Live."**

"Yes..." Suzaku's eyes glowed crimson. "...your Majesty!" Bringing all power to his energy wings Suzaku throttled pass them, slashing the first two, beheading one and cutting the other one in half. The Lancelot Albion at that minute had become a blur of green lightning and it flashed pass through the ranks of enemy knightmares slashing, cutting and thrusting. Torrents of energy beams rained on the surprised rebels, destroying or severely damaging most of them. The survivors fell to the sword. The rebel knights did not falter and attacked. Suzaku dodged, deflected and parried attack after attack feeling the machine becoming part of his very own body.

The Knight of Zero slashed and hacked a royal guard Vincent that lunged forward. The Japanese knight whirled about and sliced off the arm of another royal guard before taking its upper body off as well. He kicked the broken knightmare aside and launched his slash harken at another.

A _Gareth_ fired its cannon and missiles but Suzaku absorbed the Hadron cannon with his shield then dodged the rockets. The white and gold knightmare lunged forward with a side kick into its chest.

The larger machine reeled from the back and Suzaku pressed on and launched his slash harken thrusting into the _Gareth_'s torso. Other machines rallied behind its royal guard _Gareths_ who fired their Hadron cannons in a line of crimson blasts.

Pushing all powers to his speed, Suzaku avoided the blasts and pulled the impaled royal guard along.

The _Lancelot_ turned a hundred and eighty degrees and threw its cargo into the _Gareth_ line. The hapless knight fell back into its comrades. Suzaku charged back in spinning and delivered his trade mark kick sending the _Gareths_ scattering down the skies. Imagining each enemy being the cause of the irreplaceable woman in his life, Suzaku charged into them leaving nothing in his wake.

With the rest of the guard came up to surround and finish him but Suzaku was not done yet and he opened his targeting computer and locked on to each and every one of the enemy knightmares on his screen.

He did not let anything stand in his way of creating Euphie's world and pressed the trigger.

* * *

**"Here me world!"** Lelouch announced to the world, dressed in his white and gold Imperial uniform. **"I have said that the world that I propose peace, equality and justice."**

His crimson blood red cape fluttered behind him. **"And I swear to the gods that as long as I remain emperor I will uphold it to my last breath!"**

On the battlefield, the Imperial forces began to push forward against the rebels spearheaded by the Emperor's Royal Guard.

"Forward!" Leveque screamed as the blue _Vincent_ launched its slash harkens into the rebel _Vincent_ knocking it off balance. The _Wards_ formed around the royal guard's wings, firing their rifles and grenade launchers as they came. The _Tristan_ led the formation in his fortress mode ploughing through enemy ranks with his large slash harkens.

As the harkens returned, Gino transformed into knightmare mode and wielding a borrowed master vibration lance from one of the _Vincent Wards_ and dove into melee cutting and slashing. He easily avoided the enemy fire and swept through the front ranks, severing arms and limbs.

Prince Cassius sent his personal guard into the melee. He had not expected to use them but the battle left him no choice. One of his _Gareths_ in a grey and silver colour scheme fired his Hadron cannon at the Knight of Three which the hybrid knightmare narrowly dodge.

"Whoa, you almost chipped me! Here, try this for size!" The gold, blue and white knightmare re-launched his slash harkens again this time combining them into the rail cannon and blast into the enemy centre. The electromagnetic beam turned the _Gareth_ and its surrounding units to dust. The beam continued and to hit a _Caerleon_ striking its bridge.

**"And I will do whatever it takes to defend those ideals!"**

From the smoke and fire, the glowing figure of the _Lancelot Albion_ shot out raining energy beams and slashing and hacking anything in its path. The Knight of Zero literally set a _Logres_ ablaze just by covering the ship with energy fire. He went on ahead towards the bridge and launched his slash harken into it, downing the capital ship once and for all.

"My lord! Our fleet is tearing apart! We should surrender!"

Cassius walked down and shot the man.

"I am not! I am not! You hear? Going to turn myself to that half-blood! Press on the attack!" His ship captain appalled by the prince attempted to reason with him for the last time. Your Highness, this is an impossible situation. The Emperor has trapped our forces and we won't last for ten minutes at this rate!"

"Damn you, you pathetic peasants! I am the prince of royal blood! True blood!" Cassius' face was sweating and his eyes were bulging. "I will never give in to those dirty bloods!"

**"I offered peace and I received this instead...I hope I made my statement very clear of how serious I am proposing these new changes! The offer still stands to those men in the opposing army. If you would surrender, I will spare your lives accordingly. If your commanding officer won't listen, I'm giving you men the authority to rally against them."**

"I'll never give up, Lelouch! Not to the likes of you! I would rather die."

The captain walked behind the prince.

"As you wish." Cassius grasped and fell gripping his bloodied chest.

**"This is a time for a new generation! Pendragon's inhabitants are safe from the harm and the city has been swept clean of the past which Britannia had so been engulfed in."**

Dorothea licked the blood around her lips as she stood in her battered knightmare facing the victorious Imperial forces. The Tristan came in hovering towards her.

"Dorothea." The young knight started. "Now you know why I chose this side. I believe in his world...this new Britannia."

The dark-skinned female chuckled. "You made the right choice, Weinburg."

Gino grinned. "It's not too late. You could still come over." The _Tristan_ brought out its hand to the other machine.

The _Gaheris_ had lost its left arm, a leg and its wings are battered and ruined. The machine itself was hovering by a margin.

Dorothea smiled at the other knight. "Well, I think you're right. But this new change is not for me."

With that, the _Gaheris_ lunged forward to attack the _Tristan_. Before Gino could do anything, six slash harkens of the royal guard struck the golden knightmare sending it hurling back. Two _Vincents_ lunged forward with their master vibration lances and each of them tore one wing off the body. A third charged in and sliced the machine in half by the torso then came back to cut the cockpit in two.

"Dorothea..." Gino murmured watching the explosion.

**"With this battle as an example, I want to bring this message clear to the world! Britannia will become a symbol of peace and justice and I will protect my brothers and sisters. Anyone who wishes otherwise will find me personally leading the soldiers of the Holy Britannian Empire, Light of the New World!"**

Captain Alastair raised his sword high. "ALL HAIL LELOUCH!"

"All hail Lelouch! All hail Lelouch! All hail Lelouch!"

"All hail Lelouch! All hail Lelouch! All hail Lelouch!"

* * *

"He's amazing!" Tamaki cried out as the news went on. "He's changing everything."

"Don't you mean destroying it?" Rashaka asked in a bored tone.

"Could he truly hate Britannia?" Ohgi asked.

Villetta shook her head in shock. "The history of Britannia was forged in blood. From the wars against the Europeans till the conquest of the world, Britannia has fought war after war."

"And now he has taken that from them. Despite the 'Holy' title, Britannia's foundation was built with the sword. With the promise of peace...Lelouch has taken away from the Britannians their very identity, the culture that it had held for centuries. This will not end well. There will be more blood to come." Todoh arrived to the bridge.

"How is Chiba?" Ohgi asked.

"She's resting now." The Japanese general explained. "Kouzki had done a pretty good job with her. She almost near destroyed the prison and injured or killed near half the guards."

Ohgi gritted his teeth. "I can't believe she would do something like this. She had now openly attacked us."

"Considering how readily you were going to kill Zero." Kaguya replied sadly. "I'm not surprised."

"But he manipulated us!" Ohgi all but shouted. "He had played us all like toys since the beginning! He tricked us into thinking that he was a saviour when he was just another damn power hungry monster."

"And Schneizel isn't?" The Japanese princess argued.

"I'm willing to take anyone over him!" The vice commander proclaimed.

"Enough of this nonsense!" Todoh snapped. "We will decide who the real villain is after we come out of this crisis!"

"I agree with the general." Xingke, the Chinese commander and leader of the Black knight military forces answered. "But this is a good time to try to gain any of the former Areas if they wish to join the UFN while this political process is going on. Lelouch offers freedom. Let us make full use of it."

Ohgi's eyes narrowed. "He is still covering his Geass." The former resistance leader said harshly. "He said that Princess Euphemia has been drugged during the incident. They even made a documentary about it. It's certainly false, but the people are buying it."

"He did admit that he killed her." Kaguya pointed out. "I know what he is and what he has done but...at that moment..."

She shook her head. "I believe he feels responsible for it."

"Still..." Ohgi protested.

"He is not the monster we believe him to be." Todoh injected.

"Yeah!" Tamaki agreed optimistically. "He's Zero! I knew he's was bluffing all along."

"So what happens now?" One of the newer European Black knight commanders asked. Xingke stared into Lelouch's talking face on the screen.

"Right now, what we can agree is that the war is now on Britannia's door step. And since our peoples and the UFN are supporting Lelouch, that should be our stance now. We don't know what his plans are but I believe he is serious in taking full control of Britannia and turn it into what his sister wanted.

"The only real question is what will happen to us...when he wins?

* * *

**Neutral Nation of Japan**

For days already, Kallen could not keep her eyes off the news in Britannia. She watched Milly as she made her report on at a shop even as she went to buy groceries for her mother and C.C.

"Lelouch...when are you going to let me in?" Kallen wondered out loud. She quickly turned around to see anyone but it was late at night and thus there was little to worry should anyone spot her. She had died her hair light brown now and wore brown contact lenses which made her look like any other Japanese or Britannian in the city. Japan was still in a transition of Britannian to UFN rule when the world's state renounced. Proper negotiations were put on hold and there was a state of detente between the Britannian and Black Knight forces who both occupy the country. Kallen was now staying with Milly along with C.C. and her mother who were brought to an underground shelter unknown to both Britannian and Black knight forces. Lelouch and Kallen had gone to Milly when they were rescued and there had his wounds treated.

_"Kallen, there's no need to..." Lelouch had protested when she had insisted to stay near him after the surgery. _

_"I'm not leaving your side. I promised didn't I?" She had replied daring the former prince to challenge her._

To her surprise, he didn't and relented. As their relationship progressed, Kallen saw that despite his attempts to cover himself, Lelouch did saw her as a woman. While she wanted to open him up, Kallen wanted him to be himself rather than the self-loathing figure that was now prominent. Which was why she was so frustrated with him when he asked her to stay.

Somehow he had twisted his words on her and she had listened. Now she wished she had taken the first flight to Pendragon if there wasn't so much politics.

She had however planned the date and she just needed to get a few things before...

A silent footstep entered her ears.

Kallen stopped and listened again, hearing it again and it was getting closer and closer. There were times when Kallen mediate before training where she would just let herself go from the world and see only from the sound that entered her ears. Considering how restless she was, it took quite some time to be able to do it and while she did not master it, she did gained and idea from it.

Now she let go of everything in her mind and focused. Water dripping. Cars passing. Insects. Footsteps.

Very soft footsteps. Soft ones were more suspicious and this person did not want to be detected. She waited. Waited and waited...then she struck.

Her leg spun around and struck against a wall. A hand grabbed her arm and pulled her into an alley.

"Damn!" Kallen broke herself free from the arm and threw in a punch but her unseen enemy dodge the blow then another and another before chuckling.

"Come on, Kallen." He grabbed her by the small of her back and took off his hood.

"Is that how you usually greet your boyfriends?" Lelouch gave her a lopsided smile.

"Lel...Lelouch!" Kallen cried out in joy and hugged him. He held her tightly then kissed her.

"No wonder no one ever wanted to date you..." He murmured.

"When did you arrive?" Kallen asked, still holding him tightly. Lelouch smiled at her.

"Today, I just wanted to let you know that I'm alright." Kallen kissed him again, not caring if the world was watching. She was just too happy to see him. He kissed back, stroking her back giving her goosebumps. "But if you're here then who's in Britannia?"

"Just something I pull off." Lelouch replied kissing her. Considering how Lelouch managed to be in two places at once as Zero, Kallen readily accepted it.

"Oh god, I miss you." Kallen said almost girly, burying her head on his shoulder.

"Me, too." Lelouch replied.

For an instant, a malicious smile forming on his lips. "Me, too..."

* * *

**How was it guys? I hope I didn't screw it up. Read and Review!**


	11. Chapter 11: The Demon and the Devil

**New Chapter! Sorry for the LONG wait. I was busy with the A levels and haven't had time to write at all. I just hope my results go well. Forgive me if the chapter isn't up to my old standards. I rushed to do this after getting several PMs from you guys. Hopefully, I'll get my Beta to read it and I'll upload the chapters with the grammers fixed but you know how the uploading can be a bitch and screw up the font so sorry. That said, one with the show! After some time off with each other, Kallen and Lelouch are reunited...hopefully not for the last...**

* * *

It was a total victory and the main resistance in the Homelands had been removed in this battle. While the capital was in ruins, its civilian population was unharmed having been evacuated long before the siege.

Their new Emperor had not only shown that he had cared for his people but also proved that he was a profound strategist who defeated an enemy against all odds.

Lelouch smiled as he was received by crowds of cheering supporters despite the ruins that surround them. Some seemed to be rather sad to see their glorious capital in a pile of dust but all knew that their Emperor had sacrificed that city for the lives of the people.

"Well, it wasn't as simple as that but I guess it would do." Lelouch muttered to Alistair, Gino and Suzaku.

He was thinking of getting something to eat and leave the logistics to the rest when his phone started vibrating.

It was Orange.

"Yes?" Lelouch answered.

_"Your Majesty?" _Jeremiah's voice was uncertain.

"What is it?"

_"You're still in the Homelands, sire?" _The guard commander sounded confused.

"Of course, I am." Lelouch said impatiently. "Where else would I be?"

_"But in Japan...I'm looking at you now...with Ms Kouzki..."_

* * *

Kallen snuggled into Lelouch's chest as he stroke her back gently. It was everything she had always wanted to be here in his arms. Her own very prince. If this was a dream, it's one she did not want to wake up from.

"How do you like the view?" He asked, as his hands went through her hair.

"It's beautiful." Kallen murmured. They were on top of one of the skyscrapers looking towards the seas. She couldn't think of a more romantic setting.

"I had a feeling you might like it." Lelouch said, kissing down her neck.

Kallen giggled. "Stop it." Yet, she felt something was wrong. There was something about Lelouch that she felt was not right.

"Is something wrong?" He asked.

"Not really." She said, smiling into his face. "I never imagined you to be so forthcoming."

Lelouch chuckled. "I've been stuck in that capital for too long. I was even tempted to touch one of the servants. But then your face has always been in my mind. Been waiting for so long."

He kissed her and she returned it laughing slightly. Despite herself, Kallen felt that the words were a bit odd coming from Lelouch.

"You don't have to try to make up so hard for being an idiot, Lelouch." Kallen smiled.

He shrugged. "Well, I have to, since I'm not the only one."

"What?" Kallen was surprised but before she could protest, he nibbled along her neck tickling her.

"Oh my god, stop it." She was laughing as he relentlessly continued.

He stopped to kiss her nose and smiled.

"So while I was busy conquering my own country, how are things here?"

"It's all and well, except for a few scrapes and bruises." She rubbed her ribs still sore from her fight with Chiba.

"Created a diversion earlier to attract most of the guards and tricked them into scramble out. Then I used the Guren's energy disruptor to knock out the hanger's security before going in. The section's always been a slacker's club. They didn't stand a chance."

"What happened here?" He touched her ribs. Pain returned briefly.

"Ow! Careful you idiot. Got a nasty surprised from Chiba though."

"My apologises. Where is C.C. now?"

"With my mother as we planned earlier. She's gone through a bit of a shock though. Took some time to calm her down."

Lelouch scoffed. "Surprised to hear that from the Immortal Witch."

"She's nothing more than a frightened little girl now." Kallen said almost defensively. "Remember her memories were wiped out before she got her Geass."

"Yes, I remember. Still she was once known as the Witch of England during the Hundred Years War hard to imagine that." He said smugly.

"Don't be so mean, you bastard." Kallen said playfully. "She's our friend."

Lelouch smiled and played with her hair. He was going to say something when his phone vibrated.

"Yes?" He answered. "Very well. Have the men prepare to leave by daybreak."

_"Understood."_

He hung up. "Well, princess, are you ready to see your new palace?"

Kallen was surprised. "Princess? That's about the last thing I expect you to call me."

Lelouch grinned. "Well, you're mine anyway. Go and fetch C.C. and meet me at the port."

The red haired woman was confused. "But we can't bring her out in the open. The Black Knights would recognise her."

"I've handled that." He gestured to his eye and it fared red from the Geass symbol.

Kallen gasped at the move which made Lelouch laugh.

"Made you look. Hahaha."

"Idiot." Kallen muttered but accepted a final kiss and left.

Lelouch looked after her smiling.

"Pretty little thing." He murmured. The man took out his cell phone. "Alice, gather your men. Move those Black knights against the sea so they cover us. Make sure no one interferes."

"Yes, Prince Lelouche."

* * *

"So where are you really going?" Gino asked as he found the Emperor dressing up in a black jumpsuit. Officially, Lelouch had announced to leave for a diplomatic mission in one of the outlying colonies.

"Japan." Lelouch answered. "Got some personal business to take care off."

Gino scratched his head. "And you're taking Suzaku, a dozen of your royal guards and an entire company there."

"Yes." He wore his gloves and tightened them.

The former Knight of Three realised that he wasn't going to get a real answer from his Emperor. "Alright, alright but if you're going to go on some secret operation wouldn't it be better for you to have only a handful of knights rather than a small army?"

The black haired man tightened his collar. "Yourself included?"

Gino shrugged. "Well, I know my skills are enough to take out a full unit without breaking a sweat."

Lelouch chuckled. "I need you here." He wore his belt and put his pistol into its hoister under his left arm.

"Who's going to take care of Britannia while I'm away?" The Emperor grinned at the blond knight.

"Take care of Britannia, huh?" Gino followed, before he finally registered what Lelouch had said.

"Uh...wait...what?! I just swore loyalty to you like a day ago!"

"So this is proof of another test of your loyalty." Lelouch answered.

"You trust me to take care of the Empire already?" Gino blinked. "And besides, this is a job for a politician or a senior officer. Me? I'm just a ground-pounder."

"You _are_ a senior officer in my book. I just can't think of a proper position for you yet. So you're going to have to learn bits of politics too now." Lelouch smiled and joined his guard who were dressed in black and red armour that bore no distinct marks nor did they resemble any Britannian uniform or equipment Gino had seen.

It was clearly that anyone caught was prepared to die.

Suzaku himself wore a black and dark blue suit with dark blue shoulder guards and gauntlets and a sword at his side. The scowl that recently plastered his face seemed to make him look fiercer than ever.

"Lelouch, I mean Your Majesty," Gino pleaded again. "If you're going on to something so dangerous, you should just send me and Suzaku..."

But Lelouch cut him off. "I'm grateful for your concern, Gino but this is something that I must do." He bore his deep violet eyes into Gino's and the Knight of Three saw the determined man who had inspired him to switch his loyalty.

"Alright, alright. But come back alive or I'm going to turn this place upside down." He gestured to the Ares Villa they were staying at, one of the few buildings that survived the battle.

Lelouch laughed. "Just don't drink all the wine."

With his guard in tow, the Emperor embarks on his mission to save the woman he love.

* * *

"How are you feeling?" Nunnally asked.

"Better now." Rolo replied. He was given a new set of clothes and now he helped push the young princess' wheel chair to the balcony.

"I always love the wind here." The sandy blond young woman explained. "Though I can't see what lay over there, at least I could imagine it from the feeling I get."

"Do you want to me describe you what's there?" Rolo asked.

"It's fine." She gave him a smile. "I wish I could see your face though."

Rolo felt his face heat up and his chest was suddenly pounding very fast for some reason.

As if sensing his discomfort, Nunnally frowned and turned to him.

"Is there something wrong?"

"Oh, no. Nothing's wrong. I'm just thinking."

Nunnally turned to face him despite her blindness.

"Do you want to share it?"

"It's not worth troubling you."

Nunnally sighed. "My brother used to say that..."

Rolo startled at the mention of Lelouch.

"Why do people always try to hide secrets from me...?" Nunnally continued. "I know I can't do much with this," She gestured to her eyes and legs. "But just because of that doesn't mean I'm not a hapless little girl."

Rolo fidgeted not sure how to answer her. "The world outside is cruel." He said, carefully remembering his own upbringing as an assassin for the Office of Secret Intelligence.

"But I hate this haplessness!" Nunnally exclaimed. "I hate it how everyone's trying to sacrifice themselves in this world while I sit here doing nothing."

Tears began to fall down her cheek.

"I've spent my entire life just letting others do things for me."

The former assassin did not know what came upon him but he put his hand upon hers and squeezed it lightly.

"Don't cry." He spoke awkwardly. "There is a reason why they were all willing to fight for you." It was only when he said it he realised how much he meant the words.

Lelouch was willing to risk everything for her and he could see why too. Nunnally seemed to be the only pure thing in a world of darkness and cruelty and that was even after suffering so very much. How could he have wanted to kill her? Rolo asked himself.

He looked at the young sandy-blond girl and silently swore he would protect her...

* * *

"Excuse me, gentlemen. I want to ask you a question." A hooded figure asked.

"Who are you?" The Black knight officer demanded. "This is a restricted area."

"I'm just here to do my own business. I would like a favour and be blessed and become my slave."

"Uh...yes, of course. What would you like to be done?"

The figure chuckled. "I just want you men to keep doing your duty to guard the perimeter and silence anyone who interferes."

"Understood. Let's go, men."

"That's all of them, Cardinal." The man muttered.

_"Good. Gather your team and tell your brother to set up a perimeter towards the ridgeline from Miura Peninsula."_

"How do you know they'll head from there?"

_"That's what_ **I**_'d do."_

* * *

**2300hrs, Port Yokosuka**

If there were anything else that had become silent after most of the Britannians had left, it would be this port. The docks had been blooming with activities as traders and tankers moved back and forth from the sea to the island. It gave the Black knights a perfect hideout as no one would imagine that a rebel resistance would hide amongst their oppressors.

Even now with much of politics gone, the Black Knights guarded the area with vigilance. They were not going to make the same mistakes as their predecessors.

They took little notice of the ebony cloaked figures with avian sigils that move about the area. The guards somehow felt that they were not to be disturbed and that was alright with them.

What was important was to keep anyone else from interfering with their operations. Even if it meant to shoot to kill.

Most of them did not encounter any problem but one of them ran into trouble with a young man who demanded that they gave them access.

The guards were _convinced_ that he was one of those not to be disturbed and he was allowed in. He even borrowed their radio and IFF codes.

"Red Team, move into position. Don't get spotted."

_"Sire."_

"Suzaku, are you in position?"

_"We're heading towards you now from the Ridgeway as instructed."_

"Very good. Notify me of anything unusual."

Lelouch knew that he had to be quick and fast. He'd rather not risk an international incident concerning the Black Knights. If the Geass Order had infiltrated some of their ranks, then there was no choice and while he did not know what they possess, it would be best assumed that they had everything covered.

"Jeremiah, on my signal move in and intercept."

_"Yes, your majesty."_

* * *

**2302hrs, Port Yokosuka**

**Royal Guards Division**

**1st Foot Guard Regiment**

"Team One is moving in." Lieutenant Zectole Vignal reported as he lowered his visor and activated his HUD.

"Your Majesty, there are enemy guards deployed all over the area. They're not Black knights."

_"Consider them hostiles."_

"Sire. Alright, men. Move out in teams of two. Activate night vision."

* * *

**2310hrs, Miura Peninsula**

**Royal Guard Division**

**Household Brigade**

_"Household Brigade, moving into position. ETA 30 seconds."_

Suzaku checked his knightmare's IFF scanners and made a sweep in the area.

_"Systems online. Weapon systems activated." _Captain Alistair said.

The Knight of Zero readied his VARIS rifles and switched to burst fire mode.

They flew closely in staggered formation with the gold and white knightmare at their head. The ebony _Vincents, _dark as the night itself followed closely in pairs.

Twelve units all together with the _Albion_ with another dozen _Vincent Ward_ escorts from the various units of the Imperial Guard Division made up the task force.

Suzaku knew that the size needed to be small as they could not risk triggering an international incident. As such, all units had their regimental sigils removed and colour scheme altered. The Royal Guard and the _Wards_ switched their colours to a night shade gray and changed their gold trims with crimson and silver.

The _Lancelot Albion_ retained its colours as it was fast enough to fly in and out without delectation to the submarine behind.

He had however no idea what they were up against and neither was Lelouch though both were expecting anything out of the blue.

The former Knight of Seven wondered once again how Lelouch was going to fulfil his end of the bargain of the Zero Requiem. He had confronted the Britannian Emperor after his coronation about it who reassured him that he was still going to keep his promise.

Part of Suzaku still desired to run him through as planned just as he deserved for the sins he committed...but the other part, the part that Bismarck had said that was still keeping his humanity alive wanted another way out. The Japanese warrior had managed to suppress that side of him down for a while but since that speech...that emotional unexpected, unprepared speech... Suzaku Kururgi, the righteous knight that had been brewed in the fires of war, in the companionship of an exiled prince and princess and lover of a martyred princess had reawakened.

The Knight of Zero did not like that but no matter what he did, the feeling still lingered...

His reverie was violently interrupted by the ruby glow of a Hadron blast.

The blast was so fast and unexpected that the _Albion_'s sensors almost failed to respond in time and only Suzaku's amazing reflexes saved his life.

As the white and gold knightmare narrowly avoided the blast, the crimson and black beam continued and obliterated a _Ward_ completely that it just exploded.

The remains of the unfortunate pilot were turned to dust.

"Incoming!"

"They knew!"

A second blast followed and a third as the knightmares spread out to evade the blasts.

"It's coming from the docks."

A white and blue figure stood on top of one building, wielding some kind of Hadron cannon continued firing at them. It was joined by another knightmare and suddenly there were a dozen or so enemy units bombarding them.

"Spread out and engage." Alistair barked, drawing his rifle.

Another beam erased another _Ward_ out of existence but its companions drew close.

A Guard _Vincent _reached its target and took aim with its assault rifle and pressed the trigger, unleashing barrage of bullets over the buildings alongside its allies. They manoeuvred expertly like a flight of eagles, blasting the roofs and windows with their rifles, cannon and grenade launchers. The lead Guardsman fired at one knightmare, which turns out to be a black and purple _Sutherland_ armed with missile launchers which the _Vincent_ shot down with ease. A second _Sutherland_ appeared with a bazooka but a grenade shot took its entire chest apart.

_"Enemy knightmares, they're _Sutherlands._ Black ones."_

The Royal Guard then slowed down as they faced a heavy barrage from a roof which took down another _Ward_ and damaged a _Vincent's _arm_._

He threw away his assault rifle and drew out a _VARIS_ and activated its sniper mode. It took aim on a leading knightmare, a _Gloucester_ to be precise and fired. The shot took the black and purple machine in the chest and blew it into flames. Another Guardsman also activated its VARIS and made the second shot taking a bazooka wielding _Sutherland_ out. With the distraction created, the rest of the Guard moved in and sweep the roof with rifle and grenade fire.

And then suddenly a white and red trimmed knightmare leapt out in an Air Glided System and took out the second Royal Guard in a flash.

The leading guardsman turned with his escort _Wards_ to face this new threat.

Its head resembled a _Sutherland_ with the exception with a Geass sigil on its face. It was more leanly built like the _Lancelot_ but its joints were almost organic like and slim.

Two _Wards_ turned to meet the newcomer, blazing in with their assault rifles but the white and red machine was fast and dodged the bullets with ease. It shot out a pointed slash harken from its hand that struck at one of the _Ward_. The pilot blocked attack with its rifle but the unknown machine then leapt forward and somehow cut the purple machine in two in a blink of the eye. Its companion fired a grenade launcher at it but his enemy used its comrade's upper body to block the shot then pulled out several small knightmare sized knifes and hurl them at the _Ward_ piercing through at its chest, head and cockpit.

With his companions slaughtered, the Royal Guard left to engage this monster. He activated the VARIS and fired a burst shot at the machine but it dodged the blast as well.

Seeing how it could move at such a speed, the _Vincent_ activated his missile launchers on his shoulders and emptied its cargo at it so as to cover a larger area effect.

Even then, the enemy was undaunted. It braved the missiles, closely avoiding each as they detonated and rained shrapnel down. One by one, it dodged the missiles and drew out what looks like a long curved sword.

The Guardsman threw away his VARIS and detached the empty missile packs and advance to meet his enemy, with his double-bladed MVS.

Whirling his weapons about, the Royal Guard crossed blades with the new enemy with sparks of shower. The white and red machine's sword met his crimson MVSs without a dent again and again.

The Guardsman drew back for a pause then lunged forward.

"_For the Emperor!"_ The _Vincent_ braced his double bladed weapon with its tip pointing down like a lance.

As the black and red knightmare charged down like a war horse, the avian symbol of the enemy knightmare glowed bright crimson in which it consumed the space between them and then in a blinding speed, the machine swept pass the ebony _Vincent..._

_..._ Leaving the guardsman's chest severed from its shoulder to the torso where the two pieces exploded seconds later.

"This is Alpha. All GXs move in and engage. Leave no one alive."

* * *

Kallen was on her way to tell her mother to prepare herself and C.C. to move out. Things were going to be alright after this. She was going to restart her new life elsewhere away from Japan, away from traitorous Black knights and away from the terrible past.

That is until she saw a shadowy figure on the way that suspiciously darted across the buildings. While at other times, Kallen would have ignored it as it could just be some burglar out to rob some random lord but she thought she recognise the figure.

Call it intuition or stupid curiosity, the former Black knight decided to follow it.

The figure lithely jumped across the roofs and landed effortlessly down the several stories building.

"Definitely not a normal burglar." It was too fast, too smooth and too disciplined. An assassin? Lelouch could be in danger.

The thought alarmed her and Kallen followed him. It took even her a hard time to catch up with this man.

She dared not risk going over the roofs so she went through the corners and alleys where she used to avoid Britannian police back in the old days.

Despite the speed, the figure was unusually silent and made not a bit of noise as it made its way through.

Kallen was on the verge of giving up when the figure made its way towards the Port Yokosuka.

"My god, Lelouch..." She increased her pace.

* * *

**2315hrs, Tokyo Bay**

_"Lord Kururugi, unknown units encountered! They don't match any of the description we have!"_

Suzaku sprayed the root top with his VARIS, clearing rows of hidden enemy fire. He continued sweeping building after building.

A _Vincent Ward_ traded blows with one of the white-red machines before being cut down by a katana.

The enemy knightmare drew out several knives and hurl them towards a duo of _Wards_ piercing their chests and heads.

A _Sutherland_ appeared and lunged at him with his lance. The Japanese knight merely shift aside then kicked the lower tier machine away then turned his VARIS around and fired at a charging _Gloucester_ point blank range.

A group of enemy knightmares open fire on him from behind, forcing him to block with his _Blaze Luminous Shield_ (BLS).

The Knight of Zero swept below the upcoming flight and fired with his free hand blasting down three of them with his VARIS. One of them escaped the barrage and swung back with its lance drawn.

Suzaku lowered one of his arms and launched a slash harken at the knightmare knocking the machine's head off.

"Don't let up!"

_"My lord! More enemies from the south! _Portmans II!"

Sure enough, the green bulky knightmares appeared from the waters and began laying fire on the guardsmen.

A _Vincent_ dodge a missile then deflected a cannon shell with its BLS. A second _Vincent _came to its comrade aid and fired with his pack missiles and heavy cannon.

A few of the missiles struck one _Portman_ in the head and chest underwater literally tearing the machine apart.

However, as the two took fire from these attacks a crimson and black beam took the royal guard by surprise and destroying.

The _Vincent_ turned to face the blast but a second beam took it from behind neatly cutting the machine in half.

Suzaku saw the attack as he turned to shaft the _Portmans_ but he was too late to save the guardsmen. The _Lancelot Albion_ turned on the Royal Marine Infantry and blasting them apart with VARIS and energy beam blasts catching most before they could turn their weapons about.

However, one of the unknown machines turned its beam weapon and fired at the white and gold machine as he came.

Suzaku moved his knightmare a bit as he came so that the Hadron beam would miss by an angle. He made it just in time to blast another _Portman_ before it could fire again.

A second Hadron beam fired but the white knight managed to dodge that one as well and returned fire with his VARIS. However, the white and blue knightmare moved away while its companion gave it covering fire.

The _Lancelot Albion_ avoided the shot and with all the naval knightmares gone Suzaku turned his attention to the unknown machines.

However as he took aim, a third figure flashed out of nowhere and launched several projectiles at him.

The attack caught him off guard and one of the projectiles which looked like a knife struck the VARIS and destroyed it.

"What the...?"

The newcomer looked almost identical to the other two but it was instead red trimmed and seemed to be more muscularly built it was using a strange organic like wings to fly that glowed red at certain parts.

_It almost looked human._ Suzaku thought in awe. The machine seemed to be like an angel...an armoured angel...yet there was something sinister about it.

Taking the information to heart, the white knight drew his sword and dove in. The angel like machine readied its own blade and met Suzaku's charge.

The Japanese knight's advanced MVS blade met the katana-like blade with sparks and seemed to be able to take the blow without visible effect.

"It withstood the MVS? What kind of weapon is that?" Suzaku withdrew his weapon and struck again. The angel blocked the attack and countered.

As the two trade blows, the Japanese knight could see that his opponent was proficient not only in knightmare piloting but in swordsmanship as well.

However, the _Albion_ was faster and Suzaku began to pressure it with quick strikes and thrusts. He blocked the slashes then quickly dove down and brought his sword down in both hands behind the machine's back.

As the sword came down, the red vibrating blade cut thin air as the white and red machine just disappeared.

"What?" Suzaku bit his surprise as his "live on" command took over and he instinctively activated his left BLS and blocked a sword blow.

The Japanese knight turned and counter slashed but the enemy blocked the attack. Suzaku brought the blade around and slashed again. The angel like machine parried the attack then swung the blade and meeting Suzaku's shield but then pulled back to parry the white knight's counter thrust.

The angel used the power of the parry to move back away from the white and gold knightmare.

Then in the blink of the eye, the red and white machine just disappeared again.

Again his "live on" command activated again, and Suzaku's hands moved on their accord and the shield arm move forward where it met a blow in a flash of sparks and such power that it sent the _Albion_ off balance.

Then armoured angel reappeared above him.

Taking both blades in both hands, the angel swung down on the _Lancelot_'s head but Suzaku caught the blow with his sword and shield together.

His opponent's horned face glowed with the Geass symbol.

_Geass... I should have known._

* * *

**2320hrs, Port Yokosuka**

_"Sire, our forces are encountering heavy resistance from the Peninsular."_

_ "We can't detect them with our IFF scanners!" _Captain Alistair reported.

_"Sniper team, here. They know we're here! They're advancing on our position."_

_"Displace!"_

_"Damn it! Behind us!"_

_"They're here, too!" _Lieutenant Vignal reported as shouts of men could be heard behind.

Lelouch gritted his teeth in frustration as he attempt to recognise the ambush the enemy set up.

_"Lelouch! They're here! The Geass order!"_

The former Zero knew that the remnants were attacking him, likely attempting to regain C.C. Perhaps, they were acting under the orders of Charles' loyalists or even the ruthless Emperor himself.

And they seemed to be had predicted his entire attack plan.

"Incoming!" Vignal shouted as an RPG shell struck a cover. A sniper took aim and took down the trigger owner.

_"Good night."_

Men wearing heavy cloaks open fired from the nearby buildings.

"We need support here!" A royal guard shouted as he fired a burst of rounds over a fallen car. Two cloaked figures advanced forward and added their fire on the position.

Several rounds grazed the guardsman's shoulder.

"Shit." The elite soldier cursed and went back to cover and flung a grenade over.

The resulting explosion knocked the advancing the cloaks off their feet as well as covering the area with smoke.

The cloaked figures struggle to regain their feet but before they could, volleys of supersonic came from the mist and struck down.

Black and red trimmed armoured figures charged out firing from the smoke fast but at the same time in complete discipline making quick work of the enemy there.

Another cloak figure came out from his hiding place and fired at one of royal guard, the bullets set the man on his knees even though they didn't penetrate it.

However, a single pistol shot fired and struck the man in the head ending the resistance.

A second figure lunged forward at a guardsman swinging a harpoon. The elite soldier caught the spear with one hand then emptied a burst into the man's chest.

"These guys are crazy! They've got no regard for their lives!" A guardsman cried in surprise. He was interrupted as a bullet struck his helmet sending the man staggering.

A sniper rifle fired and a man fell from a roof.

Suddenly, the wall of a nearby building collapsed revealing a black _Sutherland_ and the knightmare aimed and fired its assault rifle on the two guardsmen, the knightmare sized bullets ripped them to shreds.

* * *

_"Cardinal, we've got them cornered."_

"Good, now keep the _Lancelot_ away from the royal guard and at the Bay."

* * *

Suzaku clashed blades with the armoured angel again and again with the _Albion_'s speed matching the opponent's Geass power which seemed to be allowed to move in blinding speed though it seemed to be different from that of the golden _Vincent_ he had heard about.

He launched a slash harken at the angel which it avoided and replied with a volley of knives. Suzaku scatter the volley with his shield and slashed down with his sword which it avoided.

Suzaku continued to attack by bring it back up in a reverse slash and then thrust.

This time as the angel block the blow, the white and gold machine brought its armoured leg and round house kicked the other knightmare.

As expected, the angel brought an arm around smoothly to block but Suzaku had it there and fired his hip slash harkens at point blank range.

The harkens struck the machine in the gut and send it reeling back. The Japanese took the opportunity to raise his sword and finish the enemy.

However, a hadron beam suddenly fired and his quick reflexes saved him as he brought his shield to block the blast.

This time a second angel like machine appear in similar colour pattern with the first one, wielding a curved scimitar charged at Suzaku with the intent to bury the blade in his back.

The white knight managed to turn in time to parry the thrust and just in time block a slash from the first angel.

A second Hadron beam fired from the Port at the same time in which Suzaku narrowly avoided by yards.

"Damn, these things are tough." Suzaku cursed.

* * *

_"R2, fire your missiles to your left."_

"V1, take down the missiles heading from your left."

_"B1, B2, fire your grenade launchers into the third building to your right."_

"P1, P2, turned your cannons 360% and fire."

_"Sniper team, move down to the opposite building and take position on the second floor."_

"P4, P5, fire your slash harkens into 6th building's stairs."

_"Suzaku! Try to use water to cover your move and get out of their formation."_

"Pollux, bring the _Aquila_ and fire your wing shots to box the _Lancelot_ into the _GX_'s fire."

_"Don't let up! All of you are amongst the best trained! Push on!"_

"Castor, send in the rest of your new _followers_ in."

The Cardinal watched the IFF screen as the green dots of his men began to swarm over the small pocket of blue dots where they slowly began to fade.

"You have no chance against me. I can see your every move." His left eye glowed with the Geass sigil and energy coursed through him and into the wire that connected his spine into the machine he was in and revealed the information he wanted to him.

"Muahahahahaha!"

* * *

_"We've got several new knightmares incoming! They all matched the same energy signature from the first one! Sire! They've surrounded Sir Kururugi and we can't get to him!"_

_"LAW one firing! Hit!"_

_"Black knights heading from the left!"_

_"They're with them! Damn it! They're with the...AHH!"_

_"Flights of _Akatsukis! An entire squadron!"

* * *

**2340hrs Port Yokosuka **

Cardinal knew that victory was in his grasp! All he needed to do was to take out Lelouch himself!

"Now! _Aquila!_ Head to the _Vincents_! Lelouch is there! He'll lead the knightmares assault himself."

Lelouch think he's King Arthur so he'll always try to lead his men personally but would be smart enough to disguise himself amongst common guardsmen. He was in no condition to go on foot so he would be in a knightmare.

He turned to look for the royal guards who were engaging the Black knights and the Order knightmares and being trapped by both sides.

They were certainly formidable opponents. One royal guard _Vincent_ avoided gun fire from a trio of _Akatsukis_ and parried their sword blows with his double bladed lance. He parried one slash with the upper blade while using the lower to disembowel the second chrome machine then split the first one in half.

The royal guard then charged at the final Ak_atsuki_ thrusting his lance deep into its chest.

An _Akatsuki_ Commander Model appeared from the explosion and sliced off the sword arm before thrusting its revolving-blade katana into the _Vincent_'s chest.

However, even then the royal guard raised its remaining arm's needle blazer and blasted a hole in the dark blue knightmare's chest, killing his own slayer in the process.

The Cardinal looked for a particular knightmare that seemed to avoiding little activity as possible as Lelouch could not possibly command orders in this chaos.

He spotted one behind the lines.

"Pollux, tell your brother to focus the Black Knights on that last one at Sector D9."

He watched as a line of red dots moved towards the lone blue dot.

Then he spotted a red haired figure climbing the stairs to the building on the CCTV camera.

* * *

"Captain, head to the building and bring all your squads under your command and eliminate the intruders!"

_"Hai!"_

A man in white and gold uniform with long cyan hair stood surrounded by men in Black knight uniforms. They had been _blessed_ and hence would obey him to the letter.

_"Prince Pollux, they've taken down the Sutherlands with their LAWs. They're gaining back the ground."_

"It won't matter. Lelouch's going to be dead in a few minutes anyway."

He turned to watch two dozen black armoured figures who were fighting to survive against at least over eighty Black Knights and men.

Pollux was proud of them. Blessed men were more obedient than the dogs back at the palace. He thought of Lelouch, that half-blood brother of theirs and how he must have been killed in the knightmare fight.

"That idiot Lelouch." He muttered. "He should have done more exercise. Then I might even got a chance to kill him myself..."

"Please...you've always been a coward, Pollux Rui Britannia." An electronic voice spoke.

"What?" He turned and suddenly his eyes were blinded with a flash.

Several gun shots fired and Pollux turned to see his guards had fallen.

A black and red trimmed armoured figure appeared from the entrance holding a pistol.

"I see you're the one with that Geass power similar to mine." The man said, firing at another guard stumbling on the stairs. "And I've learnt however unwillingly to use my own body."

"Kill him!" Pollux glared at the cloaked men who were at the corner and activated his Geass at the same time.

They turned and the armoured figure that darted to cover.

"It seemed that you never learnt to think properly." Lelouch turned and opened his visor and stare at the men.

"Die."

They flinched and turned their guns on themselves.

Lelouch then quickly lowered his visor before Pollux could use his own Geass on him.

"Damn!" The cyan haired man shouted. The young Emperor turned his pistol on his half-brother and fired which took the man's shoulder.

Desperate, Pollux turned away down the corridor using his Geass wildly on anyone in the way to kill Lelouch. The Geassed men rushed down towards the Emperor.

The former Zero sighed as his royal guard entered and make quick work of those guards.

However, the cyan haired prince turned and fled the opposite direction. Presumably, at his lord's orders for it was clear that Pollux was no in charge. And he had no time to chase the pathetic man.

"Jeremiah, I want to you clear a path down at my position. Support the Guard."

_"Yes, your majesty."_

With that Lelouch quickly ran up the stairs to search for a familiar red head.

* * *

"Lelouch?" Kallen began running up the building she was told to meet him.

"Lelouch!" She called to him but she could barely hear her own voice seeing the great battle outside between those soldiers in ebony armour and the cloaked figures and Black knights. She couldn't tell who was on who's side consider how Geass was in involved so Kallen did her best to avoid contact with any of them.

Luckily, she made it within the area just in time before the fire fight began from the rear entrance.

She managed pass the windows and saw lights in the skies that represented the knightmare battle that was occurring at the same time. Occasionally, she saw the crimson Hadron beam firing.

_"What was going on?"_ She wondered. Did the Geass order final decided to launch an attack on them? To take C.C. back?

The former Black knight didn't know but she knew that the assassin she saw earlier could potentially be preying on her beloved.

She hurried up and ran into a richly decorated office room where she spotted a familiar figure dressed in a black and gold uniform with a huge white cloak.

"Lelouch?" The raven-haired man turned his face initially stern and vicious, softened at the sight of her.

"Kal...Kallen?" He ran and embraced her taking her by surprise. Even as she returned it, Kallen felt out of place for some reason.

"What are you doing here?" Lelouch asked anxiously. The fear in his voice snapped her out of her thinking.

"I saw a figure leaping across buildings heading here. I got worried so I headed here." She explained and looked at his body.

He sighed deeply in relief and hugged her tightly then kissed her.

"I'm glad you're unharmed." However, even as Kallen said that, she realised that his body seemed to be far more fit and well built than the usual.

_Something's wrong._

"What's wrong?" Lelouch asked her, seeing her expression.

"I don't know..." She took a step back from this man.

"KALLEN!" The same voice but from a different direction shouted.

The red haired woman turned and saw a man standing at the entrance dressed in the black and red armour she saw the soldiers wearing. The visor open up, revealing..._Lelouch?_

"Checkmate," Lelouch's voice whispered to her ear then Kallen felt something sharp struck her in the back.

* * *

Lelouch stood petrified staring at Kallen in the arms of..._himself_?

"KALLEN!" He shouted as he arrived.

The red haired beauty turned and stared wide eye at him.

"Lelouch?" She questioned.

Then it happened.

A sharp blade poked out from her gut as Kallen flinched.

He saw his twin smiling maliciously as he twisted the sword, causing Kallen to cry out lightly. Blood poured out deeply from the wound. The other Lelouch grinned at her as he did it then pulled out the blade.

"NO!" Lelouch turned his pistol and fired at the backstabbing clone who lithely leapt aside and to the corner of the room avoiding his gun shots.

The Emperor kept firing until his pistol began clicking and tossing the useless weapon away. He ran to Kallen's side taking off his helmet.

"Kallen..." Lelouch murmured. No...No...Not now! Not now! Not now of all times! He inspected her wounds with shaking hands. It was deep and hot blood was pouring fast.

"No, Kallen...No." He tore a piece of clothing that was on the floor left during the course of the fighting and tried to stop the wound.

"Hehehe...hahahahaha...I've been waiting for fourteen years for this! Hahahahaaha!" The other man was laughing maniacally but Lelouch could careless as he stared into Kallen's beautiful face.

"Lelouch..." She gave him a sweet smile, gasping for her breath at the same time.

"Don't talk! You need to rest." Lelouch whispered at her and began trying to treat her wound.

"Gut wound." His evil twin commented. "Most painful of them all. Not fatal, unless you suffer blood loss."

The black and gold figure calmly walked over to a desk and wore a black visor.

"Lel...ouch...Le...louch..." Kallen kept saying as her breathing became heavier.

"Don't say anything!" Lelouch snapped. "Save your strength."

"She won't last long." The other Lelouch murmured. "You're going to need to do something to that wound or she'll die from blood loss. Not that you're going to be able to do it." He took a long sword from the suit of armour nearby and tested its balance.

"Le...Lo...you...know...I...love..."

"Don't say that! You'll be alright." Lelouch could feel tears dwelling in his eyes. NO! Not another Shirley! Not to Kallen!

The other Lelouch sneered at the sight. "Pathetic. So weak. I don't know what Father sees in you."

He straightened and faced his other self.

"The only way you could save her is to give her immediate treatment. But I have no intention of letting either of you leave this room alive. No tricks. No fancy tactics. No knights to serve you. So you only got one way out."

He tossed the sword to him. "Defend her if you will! And let her witness the weakling you are as he attempt to defend his bride. "

_Lelouche_ drew a straight bladed sabre and brandished it in the air. "On the contrary, you may think you're Arthur Pendragon but you're no king of knights."

Lelouch cupped her beautiful face and kissed her before grabbing the sword.

"N...No..." Kallen tried to protest but Lelouch ignored it and turned his face his evil twin, knowing full well that he was no fighter.

Lelouche gave him a mocking salute. "I've been waiting so long for this..."

* * *

**2350hrs Tokoyo Bay**

Suzaku felt his head slam into his monitor screen as he turned his knightmare about to avoid a combination of hadron beams and sword strikes.

A white winged figure lunged at him with a lance that Suzaku avoided. The bird like knightmare turned and fired feather shaped missiles as it came back.

The white knight avoided the missiles using his superior speed and lunged at the wing machine but its angel guardians closed in and cut him off.

The one with the Geass for blinding speed slammed into the _Albion_'s side sending the machine off balance while the other one tried to take advantage it but Suzaku at the last minute was able to stabilise again and met the attack before he was forced to avoid a Hadron beam.

Somehow, they were able to predict his moves and coordinate according to it.

He had already lost contact with Lelouch which meant that something had gone wrong. The royal guard were barely surviving as they were.

This time even with his live on command, Suzaku was not sure he would survive.

* * *

**2340hrs, Port Yokosuka**

"On your six!" Vignal turned and fired into a group of Black knight infantrymen.

"Grenade!" A guardsman grabbed the explosive and tossed it back to their owners.

The guard officer was not sure what was happening but he knew that they were not going to last.

They managed to take down the _Sutherlands_ but lost a third of the men while everyone else was wounded. Their heavier gear was thus far keeping them alive but the lightly armed and armoured Black knights seemed to be numbering in the hundreds popping up everywhere.

The new Lieutenant had been forced to switch to semi-auto fire now, making each shot count.

"RPG!" The warning came too late as the projectile struck the cover of two guardsmen, sending them flying like toy soldiers.

A Black knight in a green uniform lunged forward with a drawn katana.

"BANZAI!" The man shrieked and slashed burying the blade into the helmet of a distracted guardsman.

"Bastard!" Vignal cursed as he switched to his pistol for closer targets including the Japanese swordsman, firing one in his chest then a second into his face, blowing his brains out.

A second swordsman appeared and slashed at him but Vignal blocked the blow with his armoured gauntlet. He tried to aim with his pistol but the Black knight kept on the offensive and pushed him. The Black knight then raised his sword and swung it. It would have been a beheading blow had it landed on his neck but Vignal in his stumbling fell.

Instead the sword blow struck his visored helmet. The blow damaged the computer system inside and his HUD died leaving his vision blurred and spider-webbed.

The samurai-like figure then raised his weapon preparing to deliver the final blow. However there was a swift slash and the Black knight's head fell down in a bloody mist.

"Stand firm!" A commanding voice boomed.

Vignal took off his damaged helmet and even then his head was spinning.

He saw a tall blue haired figure leaping forward and landed such a powerful kick that sent a man flying for several metres.

The newcomer grappled a rifle out of one man then pressed the rifle's muzzle into his neck then blasts his face point blank range.

A cloaked figure threw a knife at him but the blade instead bounced off his chest. The stranger then grabbed the man and broke his neck with a single twitch.

"Guardsmen! You serve the Emperor! Hold them in the name of His Majesty!"

Vignal's vision finally returned and he recognized the man.

"Lord Jeremiah!"

The royal guard commander regarded him and nodded approvingly.

"Come on, Lieutenant! We're pushing them back!" A golden blade shot out above his hand and before Vignal knew it, Jeremiah Gottwald was meeting the attack head on with armed with only a pistol and sword.

He braved the enemy fire which all bounced harmlessly off his armour.

Jeremiah parried a rifle in his way and sliced off the man's leg and turned about and thrust the blade into the neck of another.

He brought his pistol about and fired into the face of another. The royal guard commander then just charged in firing at anything in his way.

"Come! Rally around the commander!" Vignal shouted, hefting his own rifle and followed the Emperor's most loyal servant.

* * *

_"En garde!" _

Lelouch lunged forward gripping the long sword with both hands and swung.

His _twin_ grinned and dove in to meet his charge in which he easily side stepped and smoothly countered.

The former Zero quickly turned his blade about to block the blow then parried it aside and clumsily thrust the sword.

Lelouche danced away then suddenly lung forward with another blow on Lelouch's defences.

* * *

Suzaku activated both shields and braced himself from the combine barrage.

The white bird like knightmare lunged forward with its spear as soon as it was over, striking him as he recoil from the attack.

Whoever he was dealing with, the man seem to know when exactly how the Japanese knight fought. It felt like as he was almost swarmed by the combine _Gekkas_ and _Guren_ when Euphie had confessed to him.

They knew when and where to strike and knew where to move when Suzaku attempt to retreat.

"Lelouch!" He tried to call but there was no answer.

One of the red and white angels materialised in front of him and slashed which Suzaku managed to countered with his shield.

At that time, he attempted to make contact with Lelouch again when Suzaku heard the sound of metal clashing and a shout of pain from the speakers and knew that the new Emperor was in trouble.

The second angel arrived attacked his flank but Suzaku managed to avoid the thrust.

_"Your reputation precedes you, Sir Kururugi..." _ A calm voice came from the avian shaped knightmare. Its several green eyes glowed as if in recognition.

_"But like the rest of the world, all impurities must be purged..."_ The angels flanked their apparent leader their swords at the ready.

"Just who are you, people?" Suzaku demanded.

_"You know of me, Sir Kururugi. I am Castor rui Britannia, formerly of the Imperial family. Now, of the Geass Directorate. "_

"Why would you betray Britannia? You're a prince of royal blood." The white knight asked. He did not bother to mention Lelouch. If it were Castor and Pollux, the winged knightmare must be the _Aquila, _one ofthe personal machines of the twin princes that Suzaku had heard during his time in the palace.

Despite the faceless expression of the machine, Suzaku swore that the machine seemed to have grimaced.

_"I'm not. I'm going to change the world: a world without wars. People no longer need to fight. Britannia does not need to be a warmongering empire. A peaceful world!"_

The former prince seemed to have been caught up in his reverie and that gave Suzaku time to get out of the entrapment where he launched both his hip slash harkens.

The harkens did not do much harm as theavian knightmare merely closed its wings to block them but the distraction work and left Suzaku out of the corner as the Hadron beams fired a few seconds slower in fear of hitting their own.

Using the momentum of the harkens, the _Albion _flung itself away spinning and space away from the Geass Order knightmare.

The two angels seemed to want to intercept but the avian machine raised an arm to stop them.

_"You should consider joining us."_ Castor announced. _"We can help you reunite the woman you love. It is within our power."_

"What are you talking about?" Suzaku felt his heart sank.

"_You know the power of Geass. It can do many impossible that had been deemed impossible. You've seen enough to know that I am not exaggerating!"_

Suzaku did not reply.

_See Euphie again?_ _Could it be possible?_

Ever since that day, the massacre...Suzaku's felt that a piece of his soul had been severed and thrown into the deepest darkest hole. He would do anything to clear her name, to avenge her, to do justice to the great injustice that was dealt on her...

_Euphie...my love...the irreplaceable woman that lost her life and her image polluted by his best friend and worst enemy..._

As if sensing his thoughts, Castor extended his hand towards him.

_"You no longer need to serve Lelouch. Help us and your love and our dear sister Euphemia will be back and you can be together."_

The Japanese knight felt dizzy. He could see Euphie in his eyes...her beautiful face smiling at him, her lush pink hair flying.

_"Suzaku, my love..."_

_Euphie..._

The _Albion _lowered his sword.

"Euphie...there is nothing I want more than to bring her back...to have her memory cleanse...to have the life that she deserved...to be remembered as whom she deserved to be remembered as..."

But he also remembered how Euphie never hated Lelouch...even after all that...and neither did Shirley or so he heard...

The white and gold machine pointed the crimson blade at the trio.

"And that means no matter what happens...I must respect her wishes, her memory, her life..."

The namesake of Camelot's greatest knight gripped the sword with both hands.

"...and hence, I'll never let her be tarnish by the filth that Geass had done to people...everywhere I see, Geass had turned the men and twisted them into monsters..."

Suzaku sighed before glaring at his enemy with a renewed determination.

"I am Suzaku Kururugi, Knight of Honour to her Highness, Euphemia li Britannia and Knight of Zero to His Majesty Lelouch vi Britannia..."

The white knight drew his sword in fighting stance.

"And I will cleanse this world of _you_!" The _Lancelot_'s emerald eyes glowed and charged.

* * *

**2344hrs**

The sabre and long sword clashed hard but the sabre quickly withdrew and swung down with lightning speed.

Lelouch grimaced as the blade cut his arm and swung the sword to attack but the cloaked figured just grinned and deflected the blow and cut him again.

Cursing, the Britannian Emperor brought the heavy sword around trying to use its heavier weight to break through the lighter blade.

The other Lelouch grinned and parried the blow and let the weight unbalance his opponent while he turned around and brought down another slash down his back.

Kallen watched haplessly as she watched her beloved being cut to pieces by..._himself_...whoever that was...but her body wouldn't obey...She was the one supposed to die for Lelouch...not the other way...around...

Despite the pain, the red haired woman reached for the fallen helmet...

Suzaku pushed one of the angels aside then turned around to stomp a kick into the chest of the second angel. The white knight then drove down as the _Aquila_'s wing blades came forward, avoiding being severed in half by mere inches.

He turned back and blocked the second swing with his shield and sword then flew up in full speed, finally getting the clearing to bombard them with his energy beams.

As the barrage scatter the trio, Suzaku was just avoiding the Hadron beams he heard his com-link starting.

"Lelouch!? Wha..."

_"Suz...zaku..."_ A familiar female voice called. She sounded dying.

"Kallen?" The _Lancelot Albion_ flew aside to avoid the second beam.

_"Need...to...help Lel...louch...he's...in trouble..."_

"Are you alright?" The knight dove in to meet the _Aquila_'s new thrust then leapt to cross blades with one of the angels. The Geass using angel phased in behind him but Suzaku kicked the first one away and used his shield to parry the second blow.

Suzaku heard her cough violently then regain her voice.

_"I'm wounded...Lelouch being forced to fight for me...and he'll die...please I know we're not the best of friends but...for the sake of the woman you both love...save him..."_

The Japanese knight gritted his teeth as the three melee knightmares lunged at him simultaneously forcing him to activate all his shields to block.

_"Live...on...save Lelouch..."_

Suzaku's eyes glowed crimson.

"I will."

With a single move, he smashed the attacks with his shields. At once, Suzaku activated all his slash harkens at the three.

Harkens on each arm struck an angel while both hip harkens struck the _Aquila_ square in the chest. Then the white and gold machine charged in his emerald wings leaving a trail of green glitter.

However, as he got close, Suzaku deactivated his wings and let gravity did its work and twisted and gave his trade mark spinning kick, striking the avian machine twice in the head and sending it knock down the air.

The Geass angel disappeared and went to save its fallen commander while the other angel lunged at Suzaku with its sword.

The Japanese knight used to shield to parry a Hadron beam and angled the deflected beam at the angel who easily avoid it and thrust at him.

The Knight of Zero parried the thrust with his MVS and at the sametime, reached for his second MVS blade then brought the blade around and slashed the angel's right arm off.

He brought both swords across and slicing the machine in two in the torso and beheading it at the same time. Suzaku brought them once again and slammed both crimson blades down and severed both wings.

Letting the remains fall, the Knight of Zero raced towards the Port banking left and right to avoid the Hadron beams that bombarded him.

Closer, he could see the blue and white figures that were quickly displacing the area to find firing positions.

Suzaku turned to the faster one and leapt, firing a volley of his energy beams on it. The heavy weapons fell under the barrage and exploded.

The knight quickly turned on his last obstacle but in the time that he took out the first one, this one was already in position and preparing to fire his cannon.

Even as Suzaku came in, the _Lancelot Albion_ charged with all his shields activated so that he would become like a battering ram.

The crimson and black beam struck but the shields held firm and the white and gold machine glowed emerald as the Hadron beam dispersed around him.

The blue and white machine lowered its cannon and drew what looks like a pole-axe but Suzaku was on him before he could prepare it and the machine batter through it like a wrecking ball.

* * *

Alistair avoided several barrage from the fast Japanese machines. They were built for lightning fast strikes hence their assault rifles were on their arms which however disadvantaged them by range and accuracy compared to their Britannian counterparts and lack grenade launchers.

The guard captain turned his rifle around and returned fire, catching the lead _Akatsuki_ in the chest. The chrome knightmares seeing their unable to catch him, speed up with their _Katen Yaibatou_ drawn.

The officer lowered his rifle and drew his Master Vibration Swords. The first _Akatsuki_ lunged forward and brought the baton-like blade down. Alistair parried the slash with one blade and parried the second one followed by the other chrome knightmare.

He turned back and combined both swords into a single double bladed lance.

Brandishing the new weapon, the guard officer swung at one _Akatsuki_ slicing the sword hand off then thrust the lower blade into the chest of the second _Akatsuki_. Alistair then pulled the lance out and cut his first opponent in half.

_"Captain!"_ Kururugi's voice came online. _"What is the situation?"_

"Sir Kururugi!" Alistair returned as he saw the white and gold machine flying pass smashing every Black knight machine in his way. "We've sustained heavy causalities but have managed to hold them."

Two Black knights, one _Akatsuki_ and its commander model lunged forward at him.

_"Do you need anything?" _The white knight asked as he knocked an _Akatsuki_ off the sky with a slash harken.

"We'll be fine. Protect His Majesty." He traded blows against the two, dodging several thrusts and returning with a kick at one.

The _Lancelot Albion_ turned and fired several barrage at an entrenched Black knight position before heading off.

The dark blue one tried to distract him by attacking from the front while the other hit him from behind but the royal guard captain managed to twist around and block their attacks at the same time.

The commander model swung his longer sword and struck it out of his hands but Alistair just lunged forward with both his needle blazers activated and punched a hole in each knightmare.

* * *

Lelouch tasted his own blood as his mouth had been cut from yet another blow. A second blow knocked him off his feet.

"This is too easy..." The man said. His own voice. "I don't know why Mother and Father bothered to keep you alive all this while."

"Who are...you?" Lelouch managed, getting up once again.

"Someone who you never could be." Lelouche said and slashed at him again which the Emperor tried to block and succeeded only in stunning him back.

Never before had Lelouch cursed his weak physical inferiority. He was utterly no match for the man who bore the same face as he does and even as his twin toyed with him. The former Zero cursed himself for his arrogance, for his foolishness and his stupidity. And now all of it's going to let the woman he loved.

And worst of all, she was already dying and wouldn't last long from the deep wound. This had to end quickly.

And Lelouche knew that too. The menacing, taunting look seemed to make him feel inferior and utterly insignificant.

"Your quarrel is with me...why must you bring her in this?" Lelouch said, as he once again picked himself up.

His reflection's face consorted with humour and began to let out a laugh that seemed to hint some madness that lay behind his mind.

"Exactly the reason why I brought her in. I'm going to make you suffer what I went through." Lelouche's face now twisted with rage.

"I was better than you. Smarter. Stronger. And yet they chose you...chose _you!"_ He pointed an accusing finger at him.

"You! YOU! YOU! You weak little bastard! You don't have the strength to do what it takes to win! You and your damn noble ideals! Your damn love..."

The man lunged at him. "And still they chose you!"

Lelouch turned the sword around and parried the thrust then slashed again.

_He's mad._ The Emperor concluded. _But he's almost as strong as Suzaku._ _I need to end this._ _I can't let Kallen die..._

He took a short glance at the red haired woman, who was lying in a pool of blood.

Physically, he had no chance but he might be able to bring his Geass to bear if he could knock that visor off.

"Maybe you're a lesser man than you think you are." Lelouch taunted, licking the blood near his lips. "I mean, if Father chose _me_ over you that means you must be a mere rabid dog...like the Vampire of Britannia."

Lelouche's eyes blazed with hate and suddenly lunged forward and swung the sabre.

They traded blows with the raging clone hammering blow after blow on the battered armoured figure.

_Wait. Wa..._"AH!" Lelouch cried out slightly as the sabre tip scratched his cheek.

"Hurts doesn't it?" He gave him a blood thirsty grin.

_Wait._ Lelouch slashed again which Lelouche violently deflected then thrust forward.

The former Zero remember from the old medieval tapestries that he once read on sword fighting where German knights used fighting with the overweight two handed swords.

He twisted about avoiding the thrust and reverse grip his heavy (for him) sword and gripped its blade. Feeling the razor cutting his gloves, Lelouch used the weight of the swing and smashed the hand-guard and pommel of his sword into his twin's face.

The blow was so unexpected that Lelouche's face faltered for a second and grimaced as the blow knocked the visor off.

_Now!_ The Britannian Emperor quickly tore the contact lense on his left eye.

"Di...Agrah!" Lelouch cried as the sabre speared through his armour and shoulder. The pain forced him to close his eye.

_No! Not now!_

He opened his eye again. "D..."

All Lelouch saw was his own reflection that threw a gloved fist into his left eye with such strength that sent him off the sabre's hold and threw him hard on the ground.

"Very smart, Lulu!" Lelouche cried and smashed his sabre's pommel into his face. "You actually hurt me with that."

He struck him again and again blinding him with pain until his eye lids were numbed. Lelouch's hands attempted to grapple with him but the twin's strength seemed titanic for him.

"You're weaker than a child!" Lelouche threw one last blow before he got up and wiped the blood off his sabre's hand guard.

"Well, now you're going to watch me kill this woman you so desperately tried to protect..." He walked slowly towards Kallen who breathing slowly now.

"N...o...No..." Lelouch managed from his broken lips, trying to get up despite the pain.

Lelouche grinned and at then suddenly rushed with his sabre at the ready when the windows suddenly exploded.

A black and blue figure lunged with a spinning kick that knocked the arrogant figure away from Kallen.

"Suzaku?" Lelouch blinked as he could.

"Go!" The Japanese knight shouted as he drew his sword and charged.

Lelouch staggered towards her beloved, inspecting her wounds as he tried to carry her.

The twin saw his movement and briefly ignored the knight and lunged with his sabre but Suzaku managed to intercept the blow with his own long sword.

"You're fight is with me!" Suzaku snarled, inwardly in awe at how the man looked exactly like Lelouch.

Lelouche grinned. "The white knight...the Sir Lancelot...coming to Arthur's aid like the loyal dog he is...it is an honour..."

He gave him a mocking bow.

"I'm surprised that you're still helping him after what happened with the Massacre Princess." The black and gold figure grinned.

"Not that I see any reason why Lelouch is so remorseful about...it was glorious! To kill so many in a single event! I didn't think dear Euphie was capable of it!"

Suzaku's anger final boiled. "YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO SPEAK OF HER!"

The knight brought hammered blow after blow on Lelouch's twin but the man was as skilled in physical combat as his twin was not, parrying blow after blow at ease with his lighter sabre.

"I mean, please. For someone so smooth, so weak, for her to be able to do something like that...quite a feat! Even Lelouch couldn't have done it himself!"

He was taunting Suzaku and he let his anger go through his sword blows.

* * *

**2350hrs**

Jeremiah checked his watch and knew there was little time. Assuming that the Black knights in the area were Geassed or killed, the main army would come and investigate and the window disruption caused by both the royal guard and the Geass Directorate earlier were running out.

The most was an hour and there was very little time left.

The cyborg grabbed one of the cultist's and threw him across his companions. He then broke the assault rifle of a Black knight in two then ran the man through with his blade.

_"Jeremiah!"_ Lelouch's voice came.

"Your Majesty! Are you alright? I was worried when you stopped..." The blue haired guard commander neatly beheaded one then severed the arm of another.

_"Never mind me! Kallen's hurt! She's dying! Get me an evac!"_

"Sire! Lieutenant!" Jeremiah cried out to the young brown haired man who led the infantry team. "We've got the package! Get to His Majesty and get them out!"

_"My lord."_ The armoured figure ran though he stumbled from a shot that struck his back armour.

Snarling at the direction, Jeremiah turned to the remaining enemy saw a vast mix of Black Knight and Directorate men.

He lowered his blades and opened his visor and unleashed the Geass canceller on the mass.

The Geassed men were suddenly released and stared around in confusion. The Directorate men stared and fired on them who returned fire leaving the mass in a confused bloody mess.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Jeremiah signalled the rest of the guard to fall back.

* * *

**2353hrs**

"Protect the Emperor!" Alistair shouted as the surviving seven Guardsmen rallied around the shuttle that brought the ground team.

They spotted the black and red figures rushing with the one of the carrying a wounded girl with red hair. He was staggering as well.

_"The Emperor is wounded! Provide cover for us!"_

"You heard him!_"_

_"Where's Sir Kururugi?"_ Lieutenant Vignal asked.

_"I'll get him." Jeremiah's voice came in. "I want all of you to get these two out of here!"_

_"Yes, my lord!"_

* * *

Suzaku raised his sword to block another slash and returned it with a downward swing.

As they traded blows, Lelouche seemed to be dancing around his attacks. His swordsmanship amazed the Japanese knight, it was a mixed between traditional fencing and medieval swordsmanship. He managed to parry and block Suzaku's two handed blows with a single hand.

"I must say you are impressive!" Lelouche said, parrying another one of Suzuku's cuts and thrusting again. "Truly, you deserved that title of knight of honour."

The white knight turned about and launched a kick but the black and gold figure avoided the move and slashed down that almost cut his foot off.

"Good reflexes!" Lelouche remarked. "Maybe Euphie must have seen through that Eleven blood of yours in bed. Must have been fun rutting an Imperial princess doesn't it?"

The Knight of Zero replied with his sword instead, swinging hard enough that almost cutting his head off. The smear on his face disappeared and looked more serious.

Suzaku swung his sword down again which was received with a block but before he could move, the knight pulled back and slashed upwards to smash his defences. The attacks finally force Lelouche to use both his hands.

He switched grabbed the blade and punched Suzaku with the sword guard momentarily distracting him while he pulled back for another thrust.

However, the white knight recovered in time to parry it and brought his right leg about and kick him in the face.

The trade of blows forced them to take a breather.

Lelouche pressed his ear piece and nodded.

"Well, Suzaku Kururugi...I must hand it to you. It's been fun but I must cut short of your meeting."

Suzaku snarled. "Coward!"

"Kururugi!" Jeremiah barged in flanked by two royal guards who stared at the man that mirrored their Emperor's appearance.

"Enjoy your time with my dear brother! We'll get C.C. one way or another and Ragnarok is happening! It'll inevitable!"

He sheathed the sabre and jumped out of the window and into the hands of the _Aquila._

* * *

**Phew! Hope you enjoyed that! Happy New Year! The world did not end, YAY! :P  
**

**The Geass Directorate Knightmares are based on the Alpha and others from the manga Nunnally's Nightmare and some influences from the Devil May Cry 4's white knights. I'll explain the detail in the later chapters.  
**


	12. Chapter 12: A Heartfelt Reunion

**Sorry for the long absence. Things not really looking good in reality. Most of it was mainly depression on my part. I just didn't have the heart to continue that time. So this is the chapter all the L&K fans have been waiting for.**

* * *

**Imperial Palace**

Lelouch paced around impatiently.

"Your Majesty, you need to have those cuts look after." Jeremiah told him.

The Emperor barely heard him. In fact, he couldn't even feel his own wounds despite the blood flowing from the bandages they added on the ship.

_Kallen…_This was his entire fault. He should have foreseen the attack. Leaving her out there just like that…what was he thinking?

_No._ It would be best if she was away from him as far as possible. But look where that got him into? She was stabbed. And by his clone? Twin? Lelouch couldn't even comprehend what had happened. But he didn't care. All he could think about is the woman inside the emergency room.

"Lelouch, will you sit down? You're dripping blood all over the floor!" Gino quipped from the side.

"There's nothing you can do right now." Suzaku said from the other side.

Lelouch knew this all would have not happen if he had been firmly controlled his feelings. Not he could lose her too, the only thing he loves left…

The doctor suddenly reappeared.

"She's been stabilized." He assured them.

"Thank the gods…" Lelouch blinked down a few drops of tears.

The doctor softened to see his emperor so emotional and explained in a fatherly voice.

"She's lost a lot of blood but our supply here was sufficient here. Thankfully no organs were damage despite the wound size. She was very lucky."

Lelouch sighed in relief. "Thank you, doctor." He said feelingly. "May I see her?"

The man nodded and Lelouch entered.

Kallen lay motionlessly on the bed. Fear still gripped his heart at the sight despite the information given by a professional doctor. He walked closer to the bed watching any sign of motion from her.

Only when he was beside her did Lelouch see her chest moving, albeit slowly. Despite himself, he sat down beside her in relief.

"Kallen…"

"uh...Your Majesty. We will need to look at your wounds now."

"Could you please do it here?" Lelouch asked.

Suzaku sighed. "Lelouch…we…"

But the doctor cut him off. "No no. It's fine. We'll do it here. Please leave us."

The knights and guards silently nodded and turn away.

* * *

Rolo couldn't believe his eyes, even though he was holding, feeling it with his own hands.

"It's perfect," He muttered. Rolo glanced at the book and turned back to the paper object. And she can't even see!

Nunnally continued her work with the next set of papers.

"How do you do that?"

"Hmm?"

"You can't even see the parts and how much you need to fold."

She giggled. "Your eyes aren't the only thing you can use to see." She finished her latest origami bird, again perfectly done.

Rolo turned to his own abnormally looking bird when he had used both his good eyes.

"Here."

She reached out for his hands, causing him to blush at the contact. The sandy haired girl, hair very similar to his own, led them to the paper before him.

"Close your eyes."

Rolo blinked in confusion but did as she bid and let her guide his hands. She used her fingers to feel the texture and measure the corners and lengths. It was so smoothly done that Rolo had to open his eyes to see what she was doing.

"Close your eyes, I know you're peeking."

He quickly closed them, pouting. "How did you know?"

Nunnally giggled. "I'm not telling you."

"Why?"

"It's a secret." She giggled again. "Can you feel the paper?"

Rolo frowned. "I think so."

"Don't be so tense. Relax."

Rolo had been trained as an assassin as a child. He was taught to always be on guard and trust no one.

The only time he felt different was around Lelouch…and now his real sister. Do both siblings have this presence?

"There. It's done. You can open your eyes now."

He did and could not suppress the gasp.

Nunnally gave him a smile. "See? It's easy."

Awed, Rolo inspected the paper bird.

"Rolo?"

"Yes?"

"You're still holding my hand."

Rolo looked down to see his left hand was still holding hers…and she was still holding his.

He saw a red blush forming on her face and felt his own cheeks burning up.

"Though," She continued. "I can't seem to let go."

Rolo felt a goofy smile forming on his lips.

"Me, too."

* * *

When the world returned to Kallen, it was full of pain. Her entire body felt numbed. She scanned the room around her wondering if she was even alive.

"Of course, I'm alive." She muttered to herself. It wouldn't hurt so much if she wasn't.

"Well, you have to be considering all the trouble we went through." A familiar voice told her.

She turned to see a tall blond man in a Round Table uniform.

"Gino? Wha…"

"Relax." He raised his hands. "We're on the same side now."

"Where…"

"Pendragon. Lelouch brought you here." Gino shook his head. "He's asleep. Suzaku and I had to drag him out. And I thought Suzaku was stubborn! He refused to leave your side since we arrived back."

The Knight of Three gave her a lopsided smile. "Really, you could have told me that you were already taken back then. And no wonder Lelouch ignores all the girls back in school. I was beginning to think that he and Suzaku had something more than…"

"Do you always have to think things that way?" An irritated Suzaku entered the room.

Gino gave his friend a shocked face. "Dude! Do you even notice the way you two behave? Hell, it's as if…"

Kallen shook her head, confused at the events happening around her.

"Wait! Stop! What's going on here? Where am I?"

The two knights stopped their conversation to regard her.

"After the battle, we brought you to Pendragon Palace. You lost a lot of blood. We had to go through a surgery to dress your wounds." Suzaku explained.

Kallen tried to move but her body refused to obey her.

"Relax." The Japanese knight explained to her. "You were out for three days."

She did not relax instead asked. "Where's Lelouch?"

"Next room." Gino gestured to the door. "The bugger hadn't slept since you got back. Stayed by you throughout. We had to bring the food here for him!"

Kallen was both touched but then she remembered the wounds he took.

"His wounds…"

Suzaku shook his head. "Nothing compared to yours, though he insisted that he be treated here."

"Dressing those wounds wide awake…" Gino shivered. "Thank god his armour protected him from the worse."

"Anyway, you got nothing to worry about."

Kallen sighed in relief. "Thank heavens…" She felt tears falling from her eyes but didn't bother to wipe them.

Suzaku looked uncomfortable then said to her. "May I have a word with you in private?"

Gino, taking the hint suddenly stretched. "I've been standing around for so long. Going to check on His Greatness."

Both Kallen and Suzaku sighed at his antics.

Once he left, the former Black knight spoke.

"Thank you, Suzaku. For saving him."

Suzaku waved it off. "I did it for my own reasons." Despite the words, Kallen could see that he didn't entirely mean it that way.

"Those were the Geass left overs?" Kallen asked. When he nodded, she continued. "I thought Lelouch wiped it out?"

"Apparently not. I doubt that the entire Order was likely to be in the same place. And as you saw, they're quite a force."

"Great." Kallen slouched back against her bed. _Out of the frying pan and into the fire._ "What did they want exactly?"

Suzaku fixed his gaze at her. "You."

"Me? But why? What do I…"

"You really had to ask?" Suzaku smirked at her.

Kallen frowned, not sure what to think of the conclusion. They were after her to get Lelouch? She was something that would hurt Lelouch more than anything else?

Kallen grimaced at the memory of the fake Lelouch who stabbed her.

"So Lelouch has a twin?" She asked him.

Suzaku shook his head. "Probably the most messed up thing that happened that night. And I thought one Lelouch was bad enough..."

The red haired woman felt some movements in her feet and legs. "Not worried that he'll come back and cause confusion?"

"No, we discussed that made some preparations. And now that Lelouch's got that distinctive scar we're going to keep it and use it. Officially he got it from an assassination attempt. Besides the twin's movements will be limited since the Black knights are already to be suspicious of Lelouch.

Kallen smirked, for once feeling grateful to her former comrades for their stupid suspicions.

"I guess that means we're going to get a little rest for a while."

Suzaku stood up. "One more thing: you should not continue this…with him."

The half-Japanese woman glared at him and was going to tell him to what right does he had that…but the Japanese knight held up a hand.

"Let me finish. It's for both of you. You know the burden he has taken on now. As Britannian Emperor, his political situation is going to be quite sensitive. But now he is more than that, more than what your precious Zero had been. He's the most powerful and influential man in the world and he's taken on the task of reconciling a world that has been in conflict for centuries. I'm not trying to tell you that it is wrong but that he won't be able to reciprocate the depth of your feelings. It'll only hurt you in the end."

"You don't need to tell me that!" Kallen snapped. "I knew that the moment I chose this path. I have no regrets."

Suzaku nodded somberly and left.

"Bastard…" Kallen muttered under her breath and began to leave the bed. Her pain returned however and followed her every step.

Only now she realised that she was not in a mere hospital. The former Black knight absently turned to the windows. And the ruins of a city greeted her and she belatedly realised that she was in the Pendragon, the Imperial Capital of Britannia.

Kallen was so caught up by her environment that she forgot who saved her and the recent events that had happened.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to being _Britannian._" She murmured. Kallen felt something strange on the floor and saw several brownish red stains.

_Lelouch's blood._ She felt her heart melt thinking that he had been at her side despite the wounds he had suffered.

"Kallen…" A familiar voice whispered. Kallen turned around and her heart jumped.

"Mom!" The mother and daughter embraced tightly.

"I was so worried…" Kallen felt her mother's tears flowing down her neck.

* * *

**Imperial Protectorate of Cambodia**

"So now that the Emperor has banned the Area and Number system, what do we call these numbers?"

The private shrugged. "Don't know. I'm so used to calling them Numbers that I can't remember what this place was called."

"But this place is not part of Britannia right?" His companion asked.

"That's right." The sergeant replied. "The King here asked us for help against the EU bastards when the Frenchies tried to colonised them. So we stepped in and save the day."

The private shrugged. "But Sarge, there's a lot of nobles here. I remember seeing a private jet that day. Must be a royal."

"Not that it matters to us lot." The other private commented.

"That's right." The sergeant confirmed. "You creeps just do what you're told and that's all for us."

The first private licked his lips. "I'd like a chance to get a can of beer…"

"You always take the last beer."

"That's because I'm always the last there! The lieutenant always put me far away from the barracks as possible!"

The sergeant grinned. "Well, it's your lucky day. His Majesty is being generous. They sent a new shipment of beer and food over. Compliments from the palace itself the pilot said."

"I thought it was destroyed?"

"Who cares! It's still good food. Eh?" The sergeant turned around.

"Sarge?"

The NCO turned and pulled out his pistol. "Who goes there!?"

"At ease, sergeant." A man in green and white uniform arrived.

"Who are you, sir?"

"Lord Wilkins, I'm here to check on your patrol."

The sergeant lowered his pistol. "Forgive me, my lord. Everything here is going well."

"Good." The brown haired man walked past the sergeant and his men. "So what do you think of the new Emperor's policies? Speak freely."

The sergeant's brows furrowed. "Well, my lord, I'm just a soldier. I'm here to duty my duty. What happens at the palace doesn't really affect our duty."

"So you'd die for Emperor Lelouch?"

The soldier shrugged. "As I would for Britannia."

"A pity. You're service records are impressive." The nobleman turned around and shot the sergeant in the face.

"Sarge!" The private turned his rifle but a red blade pierced his back and he saw another man thrusting a rifled halberd into his companion's back.

The nobleman sheathed his pistol.

"Earl Maldini, we're cleared. That was the last one."

"_Good. We can start the final preparation for the _Damocles_._"

* * *

**Imperial Palace**

Lelouch stirred feeling some life back in his sore body. He turned to shake it away only to fall down and land on the cold hard floor.

"Ow!" He rolled back to rub his sore nose. He was alone, at least no royal guard charging in to see their emperor lying face down on the floor. Grateful, Lelouch made his way back to Kallen's quarters.

He ran into Gino coming into his room, holding two mugs of coffee.

"There you are. I thought you might want a cup of Joe."

"I…need to see…"

"She's fine. Relax, man. Right now, you're the one who needs to rest."

Lelouch tried to push pass but the Knight of Three's taller frame barred his way from the door.

"Please move."

"Not till you had a drink and rested. What the hell are we going to do if you suddenly die in the hallway? And when Kallen sees that, she'll blame us and I don't want to imagine what she'll do to us!"

Seeing his point, despite the way he described it, Lelouch relented and gratefully took the mug. Taking a sip, Lelouch felt the caffeine flowing through his body. The kick must have shown in his face as Gino suddenly grinned at him.

"I hate tea. Been drinking it too much as a kid. Prefer this bad boy. Gives a real kick! Especially back when I couldn't drink."

Despite himself, Lelouch smiled. "I like tea actually."

Gino shrugged. "We have our own tastes." He sipped a bit more. "You might be the great Emperor who just made a mark in world history but you're still human. And in _that_ body, you're not going to last long. I have to ask: _what the hell were you thinking?_"

Lelouch sighed. It was the same question that he had been asking himself. "I'm trying to make sense of it myself."

Gino grinned. "She was worth that much, huh?"

Lelouch let out a small laugh. He considered it. "Worth more than dying for."

The blond haired knight leaned back. "Well, I can't agree any more. She's one hell of a girl huh? The first thing she said was your name. No wonder any of my tricks didn't work on her."

The Emperor laughed at the absurdity of it then sombrely added. "It's not doing her any good."

"Hey, some things are worth dying for. You said it yourself in your speech…or well something like that…you get my meaning."

"I'm not worthy of her. I'm now the Emperor. I can't give her the life she needs."

"Ha! A hot babe like that and you the Emperor is not worth it? Psst." (Yao Ming Face meme) "That's like the first questionable thing I've heard from you…aside from you leading that unit personally when you have like 8 million knights and soldiers to do it for you."

"I am not the man she deserves. Not the one that will give her happiness."

Gino sombre up, knowing he was implying himself. "Lelouch, dude…I'm no expert on this stuff but I can see that she's all for you."

Lelouch shook his head. "That is the problem."

"How is it a problem when you have a hot red head willing to snuggle you in bed? And I mean come on, you definitely feel beyond that. You almost died trying to save her."

"And she almost died because of that."

Gino shook his head. "Look, let's say if you keep her alive and well…got what you wanted. You know she would be broken. It's obvious that she'd do anything for you."

"And you don't want that?" Lelouch asked.

"Hell, of course I do! But that's not something you get to choose."

"Gino, you don't get it, I'm an evil man and more than that I am the Emperor of Britannia."

"Pst. Well if you do _that_ to her then yeah, you're evil. But she saw something in you. Something that no one else did."

Gino scratched his head. "Gah! How should I put this? Hmm…I've been with a lot of girls. But there's only been one person I had truly loved. She was a Japanese maid. My parents kicked her out for being a filthy Eleven touching their son." He suddenly felt the old anger.

"Gino, I'm sorry…"

"If I could do anything at that time, I would have forsaken everything to be with her. But you have that power now! And you could make that happen for you. Nothing could stop you but yourself!"

"How can I put her in this position? To be hunted for loving such a man?"

"So you'd hurt her feeling this way? Let her in the dark? Because you know that every time you're with her, she'll be asking the same question of putting you in danger. It's going to hurt her as it's hurting you."

Lelouch hadn't thought of that.

"If you had your way, maybe she'd be alive but what's living when you're dead inside?"

The Emperor couldn't answer that. "So what can I do?" He asked, more for himself than the knight.

"Make her feel alive again." Gino answered with a mouthful of coffee. "Anyway, I just came to see how you were doing. Thanks for the talk. I'm beginning to see that I made the right choice by joining you. If you want to think of ways to hang out with her, just look for me and I'll help." He left in an exaggerated manner, making Lelouch inwardly sigh though he appreciated the conversation.

"Oh, Lelouch!" He called back. "Don't worry about Suzaku! He maybe all grumpy at you but he's still a big softie! He's glad to be helping ya!"

Lelouch sighed but made his first true smile. "The gods have strange tastes in their choices…especially when it comes to messengers."

He continued his way to her quarters.

He saw her lying peacefully on the bed. Her breathing condition was obviously much better. He saw C.C. in a black and white dress at his seat. Kallen turned to look at C.C. who happily spoke to her making her smile.

Lelouch couldn't help but grin in amusement. Most of the time, C.C. had irritated Kallen as much as she did him. More than once he had expected a catfight to erupt between the two women. To see them like this…

Lelouch frowned. C.C.'s memory loss…Another one of his faults. He did miss the green haired witch who had more than once got on his nerves. He knew what he felt for Kallen but C.C. had been the only one who was deep in this Geass business and hence the only one he could talked to. They did not ask to be in this position but they did and Lelouch knew she agreed with him about not letting others into this dangerous game.

And like with Kallen, he did not expect to come to care for her as well but he did.

She wanted to die that day. And he stopped her. And this happened. C.C. had might as well died that day.

But perhaps it was a good thing. She was free of it all: back to the innocent slave girl born centuries ago.

It was a good thing for her. She could restart a new life.

He was alone but he accepted that now.

Lelouch also knew that he should at least talk to Kallen but he suddenly felt wrong. How could he face her…after all that had happened…He promised to keep her safe and instead led her to become a target…and because of _him._ His feelings to be precise.

If she had hated him…she would be safe. Safe from all of this madness.

_No._ He couldn't endanger her again.

Lelouch began to turn away from the room.

"Your Majesty," A tall brown haired woman bowed at him. "I would like to thank you for saving my daughter."

The Emperor froze. It was Kallen's mother. He didn't know how to react. What could he say? She was thanking him when it was because of him, she was in this situation in the first place. Shame filled him.

"No, Miss Kozuki. This…was _my _fault. It was because of me, this happened to your daughter." He bent down to the floor. She was startled by his actions.

"I put the life of you and your daughter in jeopardy. I cannot express the guilt. I apologise for all the dangers." He placed his head on her feet. "I am so sorry that it has come down to this…it is inforgiveable. But I promise you I will do whatever it takes to keep you both from harm…"

She bent down to pick him up. "Oh, please stand up. There's nothing for you to blame yourself for." She wiped his tears. "Kallen chose to follow her heart. If there's anything you need to do…is to honour her wishes."

Ms. Kozuki's eyes became filled with tears as well, no doubt thinking of her only child. "She's suffered much. Losing her brother, father and even me. She's been angry with the world for so long."

She looked at him straight in the eyes. "Now, I can see since she brought her friend back that something had changed in her. I've never seen Kallen like this in years. And it is no small part because of you. That alone you have my thanks."

Lelouch frowned glancing at the bed-ridden Kallen.

"She's told me some about you." Kozuki continued. "You have suffered much. You have some understanding of the pain she's been through and I can see you wish to protect her."

The young Emperor sighed. "I have lost too many people I cared for…I don't know what I'd do if I lose her as well…"

Kallen's mother smiled. "Go be with her."

And as if in precise timing, C.C. came out of the door and gave him a smile.

"Master. You can see her now." With that she left with Kallen's mother.

Feeling more assured of himself, Lelouch turned and walked towards Kallen's bed. Her eyes were still closed, probably due to the meds.

He sat down beside her and slipped his hand in hers and gave it a tight squeeze like he did for Nunnally.

Slowly, she opened her eyes, beautiful deep blue orbs that he'd always been struck by especially when she becomes determined.

"Lelouch…" She murmured, as if unsure if it was really him.

She looked at him, still trying to see if she was dreaming. Lelouch wondered how much she's been like this and regretted his delay.

Kallen had indeed dreamt of him but it was mixed with the man she loved and the demon that threatened to take him away from her. She stared at him for a while and finally when her vision became clearer she saw the scar made from the sword across his face but more importantly the purple eyes that showed his true compassionate heart despite his actions and words.

She knew it was him.

"It's the real you…" She murmured. "The world's gone crazy hasn't it?"

Lelouch felt a smile forming on his lips, despite himself. "We're both in Britannia, Suzaku's on our side, and we've got most of world on our side? Heh. Yes, it really has gone crazy."

The red haired woman held out a weak hand and touched the scar gently. It felt warm and healing to Lelouch.

"But some things don't change…how did you become so careless?" He held her hand there right on his scar.

"I was distracted…"

Kallen suddenly laughed, at the absurdity of all of it. The words, the situation, their fortunes…the pain…She half-groaned at the wounds.

Seeing that Lelouch tried not to but in the end he was joining her.

Even as her laughter finally died down, her tears returned but these were of joy and the aggressive lioness that he had loved had returned.

Despite her condition she was still quick and she slammed into him in a tight embrace, tears flowing down her neck.

Lelouch returned the embrace, unable to keep his own feelings reined.

They let go only so they could look at each other. Instinctively, their faces drew close to kiss but each remembering their doubts paused mid-way.

It was clear that they cared for each other; anyone with eyes could see that but the results from it…the dangers…

Kallen looked at Lelouch…if politics was to say anything there might even be political marriages, being the Emperor and all…how could they be together…they'd still be lovers…but…but no…if that's what it took to save this world, she was fine with that.

Lelouch frowned, looking concerned. So she smiled in reassurance and settled for a sweet short kiss instead.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, touching her bandages.

Kallen touched the moving hand. "Feels like a _Gloucester_'s lance had punctured me."

"I should have run faster then."

She chuckled. "I think seeing you wearing that armour startled me more."

It startled him that they were joking about a life and psychologically threatening situation both had experienced. He mentally shrugged. How better to get pass such a situation than a few jokes.

"I had to play the part of a knight in this case. Bad attempt though."

Kallen scoffed. "You don't look half bad in that armour. Too bad you can't do anything in it. When I get out of this," He snuggled near his neck. "We've got some catching up to do…"

"Uh…huh?" Lelouch suddenly felt a cold shiver along his spine.

**Honestly, I wasn't thinking of writing this chapter short but I realised it needed a clear separation from what's coming next so yup this is it for now! So back to WFC.**


End file.
